Life From Now On
by cat939
Summary: A continuation of the Phantom Stallion series after book 24, Run Away Home. SAKE. Edited July 2010
1. Chapter 1

**This story takes place right at the end of Run Away Home!**

**Disclaimer: The Phantom Stallion world belongs to Terri Farley**

Excerpt from Phantom Stallion: Run Away Home

_New Year's Eve festivities were in full swing… Sam was watching Jen and Ryan wander towards the barn when Jake walked toward her carrying two plates._

"_I rescued the last piece for you," Jake said, handing Sam a slice of cherry pie._

"_My hero," Sam sighed._

_Of course she was joking, but Jake sounded kind of serious when he said, "I've been meaning to ask you something."_

_Serious, but this time nothing was going to stop her from eating her pie._

"_What?" Sam asked as soon as she'd swallowed the first bite._

"_Did you tell your horse good-bye?" Jake asked._

"_Yeah, but he didn't dance in my honour or anything," she said. Then, seeing Jake's shocked expression, she said, "I didn't tell you about the valley!"_

_And then she did, and Jake rubbed the back of his neck and said, "Guess I got what I deserved, because I didn't tell you about Kit."_

"_What about him?" Sam asked._

"_He's had enough of these parts," Jake said with faked indifference. "He's gonna help his friend Pani run a ranch in Hawaii." _

"_Hawaii!" Sam shouted, but her disbelief must have surprised him, because even when Kit yelled Jake's name from the other side of the bonfire, Jake kept staring at her._

"_What?" she asked._

_Drawing a breath so deep his chest swelled with it, Jake took Sam's hand in his._

_She stopped breathing for a second and saw Jake raise his eyebrows as if asking permission. _

"_Walk over there with me?" he asked._

_This time Sam was the one who was speechless but she squeezed Jake's hand and walked with him._

"Wyatt—look!" Brynna exclaimed. "Over there," she said, pointing.

Wyatt's stern face turned to look across the bonfire in time to see Jake and Sam set down their finished pie plates and walk off away from the party. He failed to see what was so extraordinary about this until his wife nudged him impatiently.

"Their hands!"

He looked down at their hands and noticed with astonishment that his daughter's fingers were entwined with Jake's.

Seeing her husband's surprise, Brynna sighed with exasperation. "Please don't tell me you didn't see this coming."

Wyatt chuckled uncomfortably. His left hand went up to rub the back of his neck. "Well, I mean…I thought…maybe someday…_eventually_…"

Brynna smiled sweetly at him. "Young love," she breathed dreamily.

Wyatt put his arm around her waist and drew her against him, kissing her forehead. "I don't have know how I'm going to deal with this…" he trailed off as his mother came towards them, carrying little Cody.

From the smile on her face they knew she had seen Sam and Jake.

"Well, it's about time," was Gram's only reply to their questioning looks.

The three adults laughed as the baby stared wide-eyed out around him.

Jake and Sam walked along the outskirts of the bonfire in silence. Sam wished that Jake would say something—anything to help her understand exactly what he meant by _this_.

Unfortunately it seemed that Jake was perfectly content to be quiet. As if that was anything new.

While she waited for him to break the silence, Sam stared at their joined hands. Jake's large bronze hand made hers seem small and pale by comparison. The longer she looked the less her hand seemed to belong to her. Sam could feel her hand resting in Jake's warm palm but even with the evidence right before her eyes she was having trouble accepting that this was actually happening.

Heavy footsteps disturbed her thoughts. "Hey Jake! I was talkin' to you—" Kit broke off mid-sentence when he noticed their linked hands and his eyes widened slightly with interest.

Sam felt her face grow hot and her cheeks flush a deep scarlet under his stare. Her fingers squirmed in Jake's hand as she attempted to separate from him, but his grip was resolute.

"What about?" Jake asked as if nothing about the situation was out of the ordinary.

Kit's face had grown into a lopsided grin when he noticed Sam's embarrassment and then he shrugged. "Just wonderin' why you were telling Sam 'bout my plans. I haven't made an announcement yet and no one's s'posed to know." He paused and added, "Guess I know your reasons now."

Jake's face remained impassive, refusing to be provoked.

Finally Kit turned away and headed back towards the others, but not before one last glance at them. A chuckle escaped his mouth and he left, shaking his head.

An awkward moment passed between Sam and Jake as they both stood staring at the ground. Another minute passed and Sam glanced up at Jake. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts. With a slight tug on her hand they began walking again, coming to a stop behind the barn where they could not be seen.

When they stopped Jake let go of her hand, rubbing the back of his neck. "I wanted to talk to you before people started interferin'," he apologized.

"Talk to me about what?" Sam asked softly. She found herself glancing to the side when she said this, unable to meet his eyes. She had never talked to Jake in this kind of situation before and she didn't even have any previous experience to back up on. He was looking away too though, clearly just as shy.

"Talk to you about…about me…and you." Jake made a face. "I'm no good at this kinda thing."

Desperate to keep him talking for fear that he would forever close up again Sam encouraged, "You're doing fine."

Jake raised his eyebrows and Sam closed her mouth tightly. She had seen, just for a moment, the familiar expression of annoyance Jake got when she tried to act more mature than him. Clearly she would just have to let him get whatever he was going to say out in his own time.

"Well," he continued, "It's just that lately I've been thinkin' 'bout things," he drifted off again and this time Sam kept quiet. She knew Jake didn't talk much in general but he found it especially difficult to talk about feelings.

He glanced quickly up at her, his mustang eyes locking onto hers for a moment and looking away again. "My mom's been stressing the whole 'get ready for college' thing lately. It's got me thinking about the things I'm gonna have to leave behind, ya know? No more crazy stunts with you for one," he said, a slight smile on his lips as he talked down to his boots. "I've been thinking a lot 'bout all the close-calls you've had and all the times you could have died. Especially that scene with the avalanche. And I just couldn't stop wonderin' what I'd do with myself if you got sent away again or you weren't around anymore." He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "I know that I can't always be around to look out for you—and I know you don't always need me to be," he added hastily, sensing her protests. "It's just that I want you to be careful. I want..." Jake stopped, searching for words. "Lately you've been on my mind a whole lot," he said, finally looking at Sam and for a second her heart stopped. Did that mean what she thought it meant?

Sam was aware that she probably resembled a gaping fish as she stared, mouth slightly open, at her friend but she was unable to form a coherent reply for several moments. For one thing, she was astounded that Jake had been able to say so much all at once, and for another it took her several moments to decipher exactly what he had just said. It had sounded like a slightly more sentimental than usual lecture on safety right up until the last part. _You've been on my mind a whole lot._ There was alot to read in that sentence. Sam had always prided herself in being able to understand Jake despite his lack of vocal communication skills but this time she needed more details than one vague sentence could provide.

"Jake...what are you saying?" she finally managed and cringed at how lame that sounded.

Jake gave her a frustrated look. "Brat..." and then Sam knew she wasn't misreading him. Jake Ely liked her! _Like_-liked her!

And how did Sam feel? In seconds, though it felt like much longer, Sam had flashbacks to every moment she had ever noticed that her male best friend was attractive; to every time she felt jealous at the attention he received from other girls; every moment Jake had done something especially thoughtful for her; and every moment she had dismissed the fleeting fluttery emotions that arose from those moments.

She looked up to find him watching her cautiously. "Jake," she said softly, raising her hand to touch his cheek. He tensed at her touch, as surprised by the action as she was. Sam didn't think she had ever touched Jake's face before. She traced the edge of his jaw timidly. It was a smooth as her dad's was after a shave. She dropped her hand back down to her side, flushing. Abruptly Jake took both her hands into his again and held them between the both of them.

"I've always felt some kinda possession over you," he admitted. "I never liked it when you liked other guys or when they showed interest in you. Not really 'cause I wanted you for myself but 'cause no one was allowed to have you at all." He looked at her seriously for a moment and then smiled teasingly, "But now I think I may just want you for myself."

Sam knew that was as close to a declaration of feelings as she was going to get and couldn't help but smile back. "I wouldn't mind that," she told him truthfully.

Jake smiled at this. "Good."

"So what exactly does this mean—" Sam was interrupted when Jen came running towards them, her pale blonde hair flying wildly behind her.

"Sam!" she exclaimed, grabbing her friend's shoulders. "Quinn and Nate are playing the guitar and fiddle and people are dancing. Come on, it'll be fun!" She seemed totally oblivious to the scene she had just walked in on.

"Okay, just give me a second," Sam said.

"Saaam…" Jen whined. When Sam only continued to look at her, she sighed. "Fine. You have literally five seconds to get over there before I come back and drag you."

Sam nodded and when Jen left she turned back to Jake regretfully.

"S'ok," he said. "Let's go." He didn't look mad and so Sam happily followed after him.

When they got back to the bonfire the dancing was in full swing. Jen yanked Sam away from Jake and they whirled around giddily until they were dizzy. It seemed like hours later before the music grew soft and slow and people began to pair up with their significant others.

"Jen—dance with me?" asked Ryan in his clipped British accent even as he reached for her hand.

Jen blushed but happily accepted the invitation and allowed herself to be pulled towards him. Not even a moment later Sam saw Jake walking slowly up to her. She could see the delighted faces of his brothers' behind him and guessed that they had put him up to asking her to dance. She didn't mind that he was reluctant to do so, she didn't think she had ever seen Jake dance before. Not even at her dad and Brynna's wedding.

"You wanna—?" Jake asked, gesturing towards the dancers.

"Sure," Sam said smiling as she stepped closer to him. As their physical contact had been very limited as just friends, Sam wasn't sure where the boundary lay now that they were…whatever they were. Jake put both his hands on her waist and Sam tried to reach up and rest her own hands on his shoulders. It was very awkward as Jake was so much taller than she was and so she let her hands slip down to rest on his chest.

Gradually as they became less self-conscious, they became less tense and Sam felt brave enough to rest her head on Jake's chest. She found she liked the feeling. Alot.

She could see Jen's face from out of the corner of her eye and grinned at her friend. Jen quickly smiled back and mouthed the words, _'This is __so__ awesome!'_ to Sam. Sam smiled in agreement before focusing her attention back to Jake.

His face glowed brilliantly with the light from the fire and his high cheekbones left dark shadows etched on his face. He glanced down at her as though sensing her observations and she saw his brown mustang eyes aglow, reflecting the flames of the fire. They didn't say anything but they didn't need to. Except for the twang of the guitar and the hushed murmurs of the dancers and those standing by the fire talking it was quiet. Even the ranch animals seemed lulled by the fire and the music, and only the occasional nicker was heard from the horses.

Sam wasn't sure how much time had passed but before long the fire was burning low and Gram had gone to put Cody to sleep.

"Boys," Mrs. Ely called. "It's getting late, we should get headed home."

With a deep sigh Sam stepped back from Jake just as he let go of her. He looked down at her for a long moment and then turned to his mom. "Give us one sec."

Mrs. Ely looked like she was going to argue but then she nodded. Sam thought she noticed a hint of a concealed smile on her history teacher's face, but she wasn't sure.

Sam waved a quick good bye to Jen but her friend was paying closer attention to something Ryan was saying and only nodded distractedly. Making polite goodbyes as she went, Sam followed Jake into the shadows of the barn wall, wondering what he could possibly have to say _now_. Jake made no indication of speaking after a minute and so Sam sighed, and said, "Tonight has been different."

Jake gave her his lazy tomcat smile. "Yeah," he agreed. There was something in his voice that made Sam tilt her head up, wishing she could see his eyes through the darkness. Jake reached out to cup her face in his hands and leaned forward to brush his lips across hers softly. He stayed close to her, lingering, and then whispered "Goodnight, Sam," in a voice lower than she had ever heard it. Sam trembled at the feel of his lips moving against her ear. Then he turned and walked away, leaving her with all her shivering delight.

She stood slouching against the barn wall, her heart racing and her fingers pressed tightly against her mouth. The brief but lingering flavour of mint and pie and the scent of the fresh outdoors and something subtley spicy remained with her.

Sam started walking towards the house and saw that everyone had left. Surprised, she wondered how long she had been standing there. And then suddenly it came to her, "Jake just kissed me!" she exclaimed aloud. Her first kiss.

Faintly she could hear girlish laughter coming from the kitchen and guessed that Brynna was waiting for her to come in and had heard her announcement. She stepped onto the porch and just before she opened the door and walked in she sighed. _Jake_.


	2. Author's note

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I've been getting such great responses from all my reviewers and a few requests to continue this fic as a story. I'd like to know what peoples' opinions are on this and then maybe I'll start writing the next chapter over the winter holidays. I've got a couple ideas of where I'd like this to go if I continue it so all I want is your approval. **

**P.S. I am SO happy that my 1st fic turned out so well. It's unbelievable, thank you SO much!**

**--Cat ♥**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

The next morning Sam woke up with a smile on her face feeling refreshed and happy. She glanced at her alarm clock. 5:57am. That meant she still had three minutes before it would go off. She closed her eyes and thought about the events from last night.

After the Elys had left, Sam had drifted into the house as though experiencing a dream. Brynna had been waiting in the kitchen for her expectantly. Sam knew she had wanted to hear what has passed between her and Jake that evening but Sam only smiled and brushed passed her to float up the stairs to her bedroom. She had slipped out of her clothes and into her pajamas, crawled onto her bed and under her covers. As soon as her head had touched her pillow her eyes had fluttered closed and she fell into an utterly dreamless sleep.

Now, as she lay still with her cheek against the pillow Sam realized she would have to deal with everyone's questions whether she wanted to or not. With a sigh she rolled over onto her other side. She remembered how Jake's lips had caressed hers and the thought brought goosebumps on her arms and she shivered with giddiness. What would become of them now? She would hate to risk their friendship over something that may not work out and yet…it had felt so _right_. She knew that everyone had probably expected something to develop between the two of them eventually. She herself had thought of it a few times, never expecting it to truly happen, but would it last? Was it worth it?

Sam knew many of her peers had been 'dating' already for several years but had always avoided it herself. Initially it was because she wasn't interested in the kind of immature 'recess dating' that went on in grades seven and eight during that "oh wait...I actually like boys/girls" stage and after that it was because she hadn't been interested in anyone enough to want to pursue a relationship. She also knew alot of girls who ended up never talking to their 'boyfriends' again after a breakup. Sam valued Jake's friendship enormously and she wasn't sure if she should risk it just to try something that might not work out very well.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the alarm on her clock went off and she obediently pulled back her blankets and set her feet on the cold hardwood of the floor. She flipped off the alarm switch and proceeded to take off her pajamas and pull on a pair of worn jeans, a t-shirt and a grey pull-over sweater. She could still smell the smokey scent of last night's bonfire on her but there was no point in showering until after her morning chores. She quickly ran a brush through her auburn hair and turned to the door. Sam halted abruptly and turned back to her mirror. Unconsciously her fingers reached for the long-forgotten bottle of mascara sitting on her dresser. Then she thought better of it. She was only doing chores after all and she didn't think Jake was coming over that day. Still, she couldn't help but lick her fingertips and push up her eyelashes, separating and curling them slightly.

_I'm being silly, _Sam thought disgustedly. _If I don't watch it I'll turn out the next Rachel Slocum. _With an un-ladylike snort she reached the top of the staircase and stopped.

Her dad looked up at her from his chair at the table and she met his gaze and nodded but her attention was really focused on the person sitting opposite him who was turning to see what he was looking at.

_Jake. _

"Oh. Hey, Jake," she said, relieved that it came out normally and she could still be herself with him. The whole mascara thing had kind of worried her. "Morning Dad…Gram." She walked down the stairs slowly and was greeted with a kiss on the cheek from her Gram, who smelled, as usual, like baked goods.

Gram wrinkled her nose. "My goodness Samantha, you reek of bonfire." Gram tsked as she wandered back over to the kitchen sink. "But I suppose you can shower after your chores. There're pancakes in the frying pan on the stove."

Sam took a plate down from the cupboard and scooped up two pancakes from the pan, depositing them onto her plate. As she continued over to the table she noticed everyone was watching her. _Weird_.

"Pass the maple syrup, Jake?" she requested, breaking the silence.

He immediately obliged and their hands brushed as she accepted it. Aware of the presence of her dad and gram, Sam averted her eyes and didn't allow their hands to linger. She cleared her throat with a small cough. "So…you're here early?" she said to Jake.

Unfortunately Jake only shrugged and glanced at Wyatt.

"Jake is going to get up on Blue and give him a try. He'll be riding Blue a bit on the cattle drive come summer. Besides, the horse needs to get used to other riders before he's completely trained. He hasn't been ridden by anyone else since Pepper and Dallas tried to break him," her dad explained.

"Oh," Sam said quietly. Blue was the beautiful Spanish mustang that Brynna had given her dad. She longed to point out that she had ridden Blue after Pepper and Dallas but thought it would be better not to remind her dad of that incident. "Wait," she said suddenly. "Why won't Jake be riding Witch on the drive?"

Jake smirked. "Well Brat, remember how you said you'd look after Witch when I went to college? I figured the best way to learn her ways was to ride her in the action. You can only learn so much about a horse in the corral."

Sam groaned. "I'm going to _die_."

Wyatt looked at his daughter in faint amusement and then said, "Anyway, Jake came here early because he has some things to do later. Isn't that right, Jake?"

Jake nodded and followed Wyatt's lead, pushing his chair away from the table and heading towards the door. "Well, we're going to head out and start on that mustang," Wyatt said. "Sam, when you finish your chores if your gram doesn't need you then you can come and watch."

"Okay," Sam replied happily. She would like to see how Jake handled Blue for the first time. It was always amazing to watch him work with horses.

"Thanks for breakfast," Jake said to Gram as he put on his black Stetson.

"You're always welcome here," came the reply.

Wyatt turned and walked out the door but Jake hesitated. "Seeya in a bit, Brat," he said with a small smile.

Sam smiled back at him. "Yeah," she said. When he, too, left she picked up her plate, bringing it over to the sink to wash. She let out a big sigh in a giant whoosh. Fortunately only the first part of breakfast was awkward. After learning of her 'training' with Witch in the summer Sam had ceased to notice whether her dad or Gram were watching her and Jake any differently than usual.

Suddenly Brynna appeared at the top of the stairs. "Is that Jake I heard down here?"

"Yeah," Sam said. "Dad is having him get up on Blue for a bit. Um, well, I have some chores—"

"Wait a minute, Sam," Brynna exclaimed.

Sam turned towards her stepmother hoping this wasn't about Jake. "Yes?"

Brynna sighed. "Never mind. I'll talk to you later."

Relieved but a bit confused, Sam quickly grabbed her coat, pulled on her boots and headed for the barn.

She hurried through her chores and jogged over to the little pasture Tempest shared with Ace. She planted a kiss on both their noses and reminded Ace of their ride with Jen and Silly later that day. After that she made her way over the riding corral where she could see her dad and the other cowboys gathered around.

Sam approached the riding corral but she couldn't see over the tall cowboys' shoulders. Unwilling to make a nuisance of herself by pushing her way through, Sam waited impatiently behind them hoping that someone would notice her. Fortunately Dallas, the oldest cowboy, happened to glance back at her. He motioned her forward with his hand and she slipped in front of him with a soft, "Thank you."

"Your man Jake is making quite an impression," Dallas said quietly, his blue eyes still focused on the movement in the corral rather than on her face.

Sam felt herself blush at the implications in his words, 'Y_our man Jake'_. She wondered if Dallas realized what he had said. As if he had read her mind Pepper, the youngest and most talkative of all the ranch hands, looked over at her. "Oh, that's right. I saw the two of you lookin' all cute last night."

Sam's cheeks flamed red with a furious blush and she quickly ducked her head and turned her attention to the corral to avoid her father's hard stare.

Jake sat astride Blue looking confident and completely at ease. He was putting Blue through his paces, getting accustomed to the mustang's strides. His jaw was set in concentration but his arms, legs and hands showed no tension of any kind, giving Blue the proper aids to complete what was asked of him. The mustang was behaving well for not having been ridden by Jake before, but then again, he had been working under saddle for several months and was expected to behave. He listened to Jake's aids attentively and even arched his neck, showing off to the audience. He pranced uncertainly when Blaze let out a bark and came up to the group, pretending that he had never seen the dog before, but Blue soon quieted under Jake's authority and continued to move forward in his famously smooth Spanish gait.

Jake trotted him around a bit more and had him lope some figure eights. He asked this all with calm, subtle aids and Sam couldn't help but examine his face instead of the horse. His high cheekbones cut deep lines in the sides of his face and his raven black hair swayed with the mustang's movements. For a moment Jake's attention wavered and his eyes met hers for a split second. He didn't smile with his mouth but Sam could see it in his eyes. His beautiful, brown, mustang eyes….

Sam jumped out of her reverie when her dad's loud voice sounded out. "Well, I think that'll do it. I'll have you do some real work on him a few times between now and summer just so you get a better feel for him. Anyway, I didn't expect him to give you any trouble. He's been under saddle for a few months. He should be sound for anyone to ride by now."

Jake brought Blue to a halt by Wyatt and replied, "Yeah. He's good to go." With that he gave Blue a pat on the neck and brought his leg over the mustang's back, his feet touching the ground.

Someone opened the gate of the round pen just as Jake threw the mustang's reins over his head and started to lead him out. Sam backed out of the way with the rest of the men and watched Jake hand her dad the reins.

"Well, I gotta get going now," Jake said to Wyatt. He brushed the dust off his hat against his jeans and settled the Stetson back over his head.

"Tell your folks thanks for letting you come by."

Jake nodded and headed for the barn where he had put Witch while he worked. Sam watched him go, not realizing that her dad was watching her. "Sam!"

She jumped causing Pepper to chuckle and the other two cowboys to duck their heads and hide their smiles. "Yes?"

"You done your chores?" Sam nodded. "And your Gram doesn't need you for anything?" Sam shook her head. "Well," her dad said, rubbing the back of his neck, "You said yesterday you wanted to meet Jen at Lost Canyon for a ride, right?" Sam nodded again. Wyatt sighed. "Well go get your horse ready."

Sam smiled, pleased. "Thank you!" she called over her shoulder as she ran to the pasture where her horse was. "Wait—my hat!" She cried running back to the house. She could hear the cowboys laughing but she didn't mind.

"She's definitely a real cowgirl now," She heard one of them say. She guessed it was Pepper.

When she stepped inside she turned to the hat rack by the door and grabbed her brand-new Stetson that Jake had given her for Christmas since her old one was lost in the avalanche. It was brown like her old one and he had even put braided leather stampede strings on it himself. She smiled to herself as she put it on her head and ran back outside towards her horse's pasture.

"Ace!" she called as she grabbed his halter off a hook hanging by the barn. Quickly she hooked it on him and led him to the barn, cooing to a disappointed Tempest.

She was talking animatedly to Ace as they entered the barn. "I wonder what Jen will have to say about last night," she pondered aloud to her mustang as she put him in the cross ties.

A soft chuckle caused her to gasp and whirl around to face Jake. "Still talkin' to that horse of yours?" he taunted.

"Jake!" Sam breathed. "I'd thought you left already."

"Naw," Jake said. "I was takin' my time. I knew you'd be comin' in."

"Oh."

"I thought I might as well ride out with you," Jake explained.

"I thought you were heading home?" Sam asked. Lost Canyon and the Three Ponies Ranch were in the opposite directions of one another.

"No. I'm meeting Kit by War Drum flats. He wants to do some 'brotherly bonding' thing before he heads off to Hawaii."

"He's leaving already? But he practically just got here!" Sam exclaimed.

"Well, I don't think he's leaving for awhile but he says if he doesn't make me go now I'll come up with some reason to avoid it." Jake laughed. "He's got that right. I tried to put it off today but he just made me come here early."

"Oh." Sam laughed too. "Well, yeah, just give me a sec and I'll be ready," she said. She hurried to grab a curry comb and gave Ace a quick grooming before she started to tack him up. She threw the saddle blanket across the mustang's back and turned to grab the saddle too.

"Here," Jake said, handing it to her with one hand. He made it look like the heavy western saddle didn't weigh a thing.

"Thanks," Sam replied, taking the saddle. "I never knew you to be a person to help tack up someone else's horse," she teased.

Jake rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Yeah, well."

Sam laughed at his embarrassment and started to tighten the cinch around Ace's belly. Next she slipped the reins over his head and neck, took off his halter, and slipped the bridle onto his head. "There we go," she murmured softly. "Ready," she said louder, addressing Jake with a smile.

He returned the grin with a flash of his white teeth against the bronze of his skin. "'Kay," he said but he didn't turn towards Witch. He stood looking at her.

"What?" Sam asked. Suddenly conscious of her less-than-appealing appearance and the fact that she hadn't showered after all, she fidgeted with the sleeve of her coat. Jake took a step towards her and took hold of her wrists, leaning in close.

"Sam—" He looked like he was going to say something but at that moment Pepper came walking into the barn whistling to himself. He stopped as soon as he saw them and his face went as bright as his red hair, clearly thinking that he had walked into an intimate moment.

"I haven't seen nothin'," he said loudly, turning around and walking out again. Sam saw him put his hands over his eyes as if he wanted to block out the image of the two of them together. When he was gone Sam could hear Dallas laughing and her dad give a sharp, "What?"

Knowing that they would be interrupted if they took any longer Jake shrugged. "Never mind," he said. He gave her hand a small squeeze and turned to his horse. Wordlessly he led Witch out of the barn and halted outside. Sam followed his lead and they both swung up into their saddles.

"I'll be back in awhile," Sam said to her dad. She saw him glance at the two of them with mild suspicion but said nothing. Pepper refused to meet either of their eyes, his face still slightly flushed and Sam bit her lip to keep from smiling in amusement. When her dad gave a firm nod with his head they turned their horses and walked in synch towards the bridge.

They had hardly taken ten steps when Witch had to ruin the moment by protesting violently at the closeness of Ace. With a snap of her teeth aimed at the little bay's shoulder, she attempted to drive him away. With an air of patience Jake kept her in check and made her walk forward without resistance. Even so, just to be on the safe side Sam decided to fall back behind them to give the mare her personal space.

The sound of the horses' hooves echoed over the bridge and Jake turned around to look at her. There was a question in his eyes and Sam nodded in agreement. As soon as the last hoof had crossed the bridge and touched the Nevadan soil, both horses broke into a smooth lope. Now Sam was confident enough to bring Ace alongside of Witch and the two horses matched one another stride for stride.

She could feel the grin on her face and didn't have to look to tell that there was one on Jake's face as well. She didn't _have _to, but she did anyway. He was grinning like she knew he would be and he turned to look at her at the same time. "Race ya," he shouted over the sound of the hooves hitting the ground. He didn't wait for a reply of any kind, only let out a yell. Without any encouragement Witch launched herself into a speedy gallop.

"No fair!" Sam called after him. But instead of whining she clapped her heels against Ace's sides and he took off after the horse and rider in front of them.

Witch was bigger and had longer legs than the little bay mustang and her Quarter horse bloodlines gave her an inherited speed over short distances that was unmatched by any other breed of horse. However, Ace was a mustang with a competitive spirit and his mustang nature gave him a wild instinct for running that domestically bred horses just didn't have. It didn't take long before they had caught up with their competition and Ace's nose was in level with Jake's boot.

At the speed they were traveling it didn't take long before they had reached War Drum Flats and Sam and Jake sat back in their saddles and brought their mounts down to a choppy trot and then a walk, laughing.

"We would've won if you hadn't cheated!" Sam cried. "Admit it! You know it's true."

Jake snorted. "No way. Witch and I were holding back. We didn't want to get too far ahead of you."

"Yeah right!" Sam said in disbelief. "You're so full of yourself, Jake Ely!"

A slow tomcat smile spread across Jake's face as he halted Witch and looked at her. "Yeah, but you wouldn't like me any other way," repeating her line to him after he had pulled her up over the cliff after the avalanche.

Surprised by how suddenly Jake could switch from Jake her best friend to Jake her—well...whatever he was—and suddenly breathless, Sam said, "No, no I wouldn't."

Jake's brown eyes stared into hers with a sudden intensity she had never seen in him before and he turned Witch to stand alongside of Ace. He reached out and cupped Sam's face in his large hand. Then he drew her towards him, leaned down and kissed her slowly.

Sam's breath caught in her throat but this time she responded and pressed her lips against his, her heart thudding wildly in her chest.

"Whoa, whoa!" a voice cried, startling them apart. "Enough of this overly sappy romantic stuff!" Kit cried. Witch must have agreed with the Ely brother because all at once she let out an offended squeal and Jake had to move her away before she bit Sam or Ace.

"Baby Bear," Kit began, addressing Jake with his hated nickname, "I thought the two of us were going for a ride." He pointedly looked at Sam but she wasn't offended by his rudeness.

"I'm not staying," she said. "I'm heading to Lost Canyon to meet Jen," she explained.

"The blonde one with the glasses?"

Sam nodded. "Well that's okay I guess," Kit said. "I ran into her on my way over here. She's got a nice Palomino."

"Yeah," Sam agreed. "Her parents have a Kenworthy palomino breeding program. Anyway...Jen will be wondering where I am. I should go."

Kit gave a nod and looked pointedly away when Sam looked at Jake. "I'll see you later," she said with a small wave.

Jake just nodded but she had learned long ago that his eyes expressed more than his words. She smiled at the both of them and urged Ace into a lope.

As she rode away she heard Kit complain, "When did you two stop being little kids?"

With a smile on her face Sam turned her attention to focusing on where they were going and continued on her way to meet with her friend. She was bursting with want to tell someone about the night before and she was sure that Jen had a few stories to tell too.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Silly's pale mane and tail blew softly in the breeze and her golden coat gleamed in the bright Nevadan sun. Jen sat atop the palomino mare, her attention focused somewhere in the distance.

"Hey—Jen!" Sam yelled. Her friend's blonde head immediately snapped around to face her. A grin spread across Jen's face and she waved, at the same time urging her horse towards them.

Sam did the same and their two horses pranced circles around one another. Laughing, the two girls brought their horses down to a walk and then sent them forward side-by-side.

"Last night was so fun!" Jen exclaimed breathlessly. "Your family always has the best bonfire parties."

"Yeah, it was pretty amazing," Sam agreed. "You and Ryan looked like you were having fun," she teased lightly. Amused, Sam watched as Jen's face slowly became covered in a slight blush.

However, despite her embarrassment, Jen retorted smartly, "I might say the same thing about you and Jake."

Sam gasped. "What are you talking about?"

Jen rolled her eyes skyward. "Don't tell me you didn't think I would notice," she said disbelievingly.

Sam sighed with defeat and said sadly, "I don't think there was a single person there last night that didn't notice."

"Well that's because everyone has been waiting for it," Jen said, as if this was obvious.

Sam didn't know how to respond to her friend's statement so she remained quiet for a moment. Finally she said, "I was so excited to tell you everything that had happened a while ago but now that you're here, I can't think of what to say."

Jen smiled understandingly. "The same thing happens to me whenever something happens with Ryan."

Both girls stared at the space between their horses' ears in silence, wondering what to say. Ace's head bobbed up and down as he walked, causing his mane to flop from side to side. Sam could tell the mustang wasn't enjoying all the walking and talking; he wanted to run.

She leaned forward and stroked the side of his neck. "Not yet, boy," she murmured softly. She was about to look up and ask Jen if she wanted to let the horses run for a bit when her friend spoke.

"Ryan wants to take me somewhere," Jen said, glancing at Sam for her reaction.

"Really? That's cool but I thought you guys had already—"

"No, not just a date or something. Bigger," Jen said. "Besides, he told me he doesn't consider our rides together really dates."

Sam couldn't help but roll her eyes. Going out for a ride sounded like a perfect date to her. Sure, you couldn't really talk a lot depending on the pace you went at and it wasn't ideal for kissing or anything. She shivered as she remembered Jake's kiss on horseback only minutes ago and smiled. Then again, Jake wasn't really into the whole talking and cuddling thing anyway.

"So where is he taking you?" Sam asked, her curiousity getting the better of her. There weren't really all that many fancy restaurants in the area and that's what she guessed Ryan was considering. It seemed his type.

"You aren't going to believe this," Jen said slowly, and Sam could tell her friend hardly believed it either. She hoped it wasn't something ridiculous because Jen really liked Ryan…

"He wants to take me to England with him!"

"What?" Sam gasped, clutching at her saddle horn for support. Ace snorted and swiveled his ears around at her.

"Well," Jen took a deep breath and continued, "You know how Ryan is taking over his father's position on the ranch, right?" Sam nodded, not making the connection. "Well, he knows he's going to be really busy when he starts assuming all his responsibilities and changing how his father did things…so he wants to visit his mother in England before he gets too tied up here. He hasn't seen her since he arrived, remember?" Again, Sam nodded.

"So he has made some plans to fly to England in two weeks to see her and he said he would like me to come with him and meet her," Jen let out in a rush. "I think he desperately wants to prove that not both of his parents are like his dad."

"Wow," Sam said softly. "That _is _big. It's so far away! How long will you be gone for? What about school?"

Jen smiled. "Well assuming my parents let me go—"

"They might not?"

Jen rolled her eyes. "They're stressing how big a deal this is. If I go it will be for a week and a half. I know Ryan would like to stay longer but he can't put things off for any longer. Even as it is, my dad is complaining that I won't be able to do chores and my mom is stressing about me falling behind on school work." From the expression on her face, Sam could tell Jen thought the last idea was ridiculous and she couldn't help but agree. Jen was a straight A student. There was no way she would fall behind just by missing a week and a half of classes.

"I think they're both just nervous because they don't know what to do about this kind of situation. I mean Ryan is my boyfriend…They won't be there and let's face it, they're worried about how credible a chaperone his mom will be. I mean, she did marry Slocum. That doesn't say much for her."

"Yeah," Sam said. "If that was all I knew about her I'd be concerned too. But this is really awesome. I hope you get to go."

"Sure you can handle a week and a half without me to keep you in line?" Jen teased.

Sam laughed. "Oh, I think Jake has that pretty much taken care of."

Jen flashed another smile and then ducked her head, looking away but still smiling. Sam could see how excited she was and how hard she was struggling not to make a big deal over it.

Finally Jen said, "I don't want all the gory details but I'm guessing Ely was able to string together a few words to get his intentions across last night?"

Sam laughed. "Yeah...It was really weird seeing him like that for the first time. You know, talking about 'feelings'?" Jen winced as though she couldn't bear the image she was presented with but nodded. "Anyway, excluding all the gory details...he kissed me."

Jen raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing from your dazed expression that it was a good first kiss." She grinned at Sam's glare. "So are you guys an '_item' _or just going to date casually and see how things go?" she asked.

"That's the thing," Sam confessed. "It all happened so fast I didn't really get to ask about that. He kissed me this morning too...right before I met you but we haven't talked. Dates or anything else haven't even come up. What do you think?"

Jen snorted. "Considering Jake isn't exactly great at expressing himself...and we've known him to assume things in the past without asking, I'd guess he pretty much figures he's claimed you and that's that."

"_Claimed_ me?" Sam laughed. "That's an odd choice of words. But yeah...I guess you're right. I think I'll just keep things low key and not expect anything right away until I'm sure though."

If Jen was right, then it seemed as though Jake had taken away Sam's debate about whether to risk their friendship or not. It was typical of Jake to assume things. He had assumed Sam would be his racing partner in Trudy Allen's race that one time without asking her also. Sam guessed she would just have to wait and see.

"Come on! Let's run!" Sam yelled, pulling herself out of her thoughts and urging Ace into a gallop. The mustang let out a neigh of delight and tossed his head, happily responding to her request.

Behind her, Sam could hear Jen murmur some words to her horse and before long the big palomino was running along side of Ace. It was beautiful to watch their legs, black and white with hints of gold and bay, blending together and extending so far out, propelling them faster and faster. Sam could feel her mustang gathering himself and exploding with every stride so that he could keep in pace with the longer-legged mare and she couldn't help but feel proud of his determination and heart.

The girls kept their horses running until they reached a small creek where they let them take a small drink. Sam leaned back in her worn saddle and set her hands on Ace's rump, supporting her body so that she could squint up to see the position of the sun.

"I should probably start to head back home now," Sam said regretfully. "I'm sure my dad and gram have _something_ they want me to do today."

"Same," Jen admitted. "And so ends this blissful enjoyment and begins the chores that come with caring for the animals we love," she said with a dramatic sigh.

"Yup, but they're worth it." Sam looked down at the little mustang she was riding. "Eh, Ace? Are you worth it?" Both girls laughed when the little mustang bobbed his head enthusiastically. "I swear he can understand everything I say," Sam said wonderingly. She saw Jen open her mouth to lecture her about applying too many human characteristics to horses and quickly asked, "Speaking of horses, who will ride Silly if you go?"

"I was actually hoping that you might," Jen said. "I forgot to ask until now."

"Oh," Sam said. She would have loved the opportunity to ride her friend's horse. Despite her affectionate nickname of Silly, the mare really did display her exemplary Quarter Horse breeding quite well. She had a lovely conformation and a number of traits that made her a valuable ranch horse. However Sam knew it would be taking on too much to ride Silly on top of everything else she was doing.

"I'd love to, but if I have to help Mrs. Allen with Darby and stuff. I'm not sure I'd have enough time," she said unhappily.

"Oh, right. I forgot about that…" Jen drifted off into thought for a minute. "Well, I'm sure I could find someone else. And if not, a little less exercise than usual won't hurt her."

"I guess," Sam said, already feeling awful that she couldn't help. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow at the bus stop, ok?"

"Yeah," Jen agreed. "I'll call you with any news on the 'trip', alright? But don't expect anything tonight. I think it will take them a couple days to think things over thoroughly."

Sam nodded. "Bye," she said with a wave and turned Ace away. They set off for Riverbend at a smooth lope.

Sam had just finished grooming Ace and was putting her tack away when she heard someone call her name.

"Yeah?" she called back, struggling, as always, to lift her saddle onto one of the sigh saddle holders that were nailed onto the wall of the tack room.

Pepper poked his head through the doorway and walked in. He plucked the saddle from her and easily hoisted it up onto the stand. With a sulky growl (she was always very sensitive about the limitations of her height), Sam grudgingly thanked him for his assistance and asked what it was that he needed.

"Brynna's lookin' for you," he told her. "She couldn't come and get you herself 'cause that little baby is demanding all her attention. She said to come see her as soon as you're done."

"Oh," Sam said, recalling her stepmother saying that she had something to discuss with her that morning. "Okay, I'll go see her as soon as I'm finished cleaning up here."

Pepper shrugged and left and so Sam quickly put all the brushes and other grooming utensils into the tackbox. She ran over her tack with a damp cloth to rid it of dust and rinsed off her mustang's bit. Then she swept the barn floor and finally made her way up to the house.

When Sam entered into the house she automatically pulled off her boots, hung up her hat and took off her coat. She glanced around but strangely no one was in the kitchen. "Brynna?" she called.

"I'm in the living room," came the reply.

"Pepper told me you were looking for me but can I take a shower first? I haven't yet."

"Sure, Sam. Just be quick about it," Brynna said.

"Ok," Sam called over her shoulder as she made her way up the stairs.

She went into her room first and grabbed a fresh pair of jeans a long-sleeved forest green shirt. Then she proceeded to the washroom where she stripped off her dusty clothing and turned the tap of the shower onto hot. While she waited for the water to heat up she examined herself in the mirror.

For the most part Sam was pretty comfortable with the way she looked. She didn't mind the auburn colour of her hair and she liked how it was growing out to settle just past her shoulders. Her face wasn't particularly striking in her opinion but her eyes were a nice brown framed with long eyelashes and her facial structure looked determined but slightly delicate at the same time. She knew she would never grow to be tall but most of the time she was okay with that. Her figure was slim and athletic from all the work she did with horses and she looked fit and healthy. She wasn't overly curvy but she had just enough of everything to give her a decent shape. With a smile at her reflection, Sam turned and hopped under the hot water.

She took ten minutes in the shower, not exactly what her dad would call 'quick' but she knew Brynna enjoyed long showers herself and wouldn't scold her for it. When she stepped out she toweled herself dry and dressed herself again. She ran a brush quickly through her hair and left it to dry on its own before depositing her dirty laundry into the hamper by the door and heading back down to Brynna.

"So where's Gram?" Sam asked when she reached the living room. Brynna was stretched out on one of the couches with Cody cuddled in one arm and a book held in another.

Brynna glanced at her. "She went over to Trudy's today, remember?"

"Oh yeah," Sam said. She carefully sat at the other end of the couch, so as not to disturb her sleeping brother.

"Anyway," Brynna said softly. "Speaking of Trudy, I just wanted to talk to you about your participation in her program. Your father and I have been discussing it and we both agree that you have taken on an awful lot of responsibilities lately. We aren't sure that you should start working on Trudy's project too, okay?"

"But—"

Brynna raised a finger to her mouth to shush her. "I know that you've already agreed to it but we spoke to her about it and she believes they can get along fine without you. After all, it's only Darby and I'm sure she and Preston can handle one girl. Darby is so engrossed with this mare that it's highly unlikely that she will cause any trouble at all for them over there."

As much as Sam would have liked to help Darby out with the Phantom's sister, she couldn't help but let out a tiny sigh of relief. She _really_ needed a break. "Well I guess if Mrs. Allen is sure that they'll be okay without me…But if they need any help they can call me, right?"

Brynna nodded. "That's what we told them."

Suddenly Sam thought of something. "Um, I know the point of this was to decrease the amount of commitments I have…but Jen might be going away for awhile and she was wondering if I could ride Silly for her while she was gone. It wouldn't be as much work as what I would have done for Mrs. Allen."

"We'll talk about it with your dad," Brynna promised. A small sleepy yawn caused both females to look down at the baby in Brynna's arms. Brynna's face broke into a tender smile as she planted a soft kiss on Cody's forehead. "You said you had some homework to finish the other day, didn't you?"

Sam nodded hesitatingly. "Just a bit…"

Brynna smiled. "Why don't you do that today since no one seems to need you for any other chores?"

"Alright," Sam sighed. "Do you need anything first?"

"No," Brynna said, glancing down at the baby again. "I think we're okay."

Sam had just walked through the door way and was turning towards the stairs to get her work when she glanced back into the living room. Brynna was cooing at the baby and Cody had an adorable baby-smile on his face and he gave a delighted gurgle when Brynna blew down softly over his face.

Sam smiled to herself. It made such an adorable picture. With a sudden flash of inspiration she grabbed her camera from where she kept it in the kitchen and snapped a picture of her two family members. It would definitely be a keeper.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Sam was currently in her first period class, English. Jen hadn't called the night before and when Sam saw her that morning at the bus stop, Jen told her that her parents still hadn't made their final decision. Lila, Jen's mother, had told her that they would let her know after school that day. Both girls had sat and talked about their classes and other non-important things for the rest of the bus-ride, trying to distract themselves from their anxiety.

Sam was anxious to hear Jen's news too but she was also nervous about seeing Jake in school. She wasn't sure how she should act. Would they behave like other couples did or like nothing had changed?

Sam sighed and bit the tip of her pen. This was really much too complicated…

"Sam?"

She jumped upright. "Yes?" Sam asked her teacher.

Her English teacher frowned at her. "Could you please share with the class you opinion of tragedy, based on the conclusion of Romeo and Juliet?"

Thinking fast Sam replied, "Well, although the ending was tragic and sad, the two houses made a truce and vowed to put aside their differences and end the feud… Based on that, I would have to say that I think that after every tragedy there are the beginnings of something good."

"You make a good point, Samantha," he teacher acknowledged. "Who else agrees with this opinion?" she asked the class.

A number of students raised their hands and Sam let out a relieved sigh and slumped back down into her chair. She hated being put on the spot. After the initial worries that the teacher would call on her again died away, her mind couldn't help but wander back to her previous thoughts. The next time she resurfaced was when the bell rang and she jumped for the second time that morning.

She noticed her teacher standing beside her desk and quickly closed her blank notebook and started throwing her writing utensils and notebook into her book bag.

"Before you leave, Sam," the teacher called before she reached the door. "I hope that whatever is causing you so much distraction ceases to be a problem any longer. I am not accustomed to having to reprimand you about concentration and I don't want to have to make a habit of it."

Sam bit her lip, embarrassed. "I know, and I'm sorry—"

"I don't need an apology. Just see that it doesn't happen again."

Sam nodded and when her teacher turned away, she hurriedly scrambled to the door and rushed to go to her next class. If she didn't hurry she would be late.

Unfortunately in her haste she whipped out of the classroom and ran right into someone. She heard them give a low grunt of surprise in response to her small gasp as she got the wind knocked from her chest and felt their arms close around her to stop her from toppling to the ground.

"Sorry!" She gasped, releasing her clutch on their arms. "I was—"

"Sam?"

She looked up. "Jake! Oh, sorry. I have to go or I'll be late for your mom's class. Thanks bye!" She quickly dodged around him and scampered down the hall, leaving him staring after her.

She arrived thirty seconds after the bell rang and unfortunately Mrs. Ely had already closed the door to the classroom. With a down hearted sigh Sam knocked on the door and a moment later Mrs. Ely opened it up.

"Take your seat, Sam," she said. "Tardiness on the first day back from break doesn't make a good impression."

Sam sighed as she made her way to her desk; she had a bad feeling about today…

By the time it was finally lunch Sam was starving. She met Jen by their lockers and they grabbed their lunches and walked to the cafeteria. Sam had spent the rest of the morning making sure that she was on time for class and giving her teachers no reasons to frown at her. Consequently, she had quite forgotten about her previous worries over Jake.

She and Jen sat side by side at their customary table and began to eat.

"Only two and a half more hours and then my parents are telling me," Jen said. She trembled with mock anticipation and Sam smiled.

"Telling you what?" Ally asked as she sat down on the other side of Sam.

Sam could see Jen thinking about whether or not to reveal the plan to Ally but before she could say anything Darrel came wandering over.

"Hey darlin'" he said to Ally, giving her a peck on the cheek before sitting down opposite of her across the table.

_So they _are_ together_, Sam thought with a smile. Then she pouted her lips and said with mock sadness, "But Darrel, I thought _I_ was your darlin.'"

For a moment Darrel's eyes widened in alarm. Then his customary slow smile spread across his face. "Naw," he stated. "That was just for fun. You were always somebody else's darlin'."

Sam blushed. Suddenly she heard someone approaching from behind her and so she turned her head and saw Jake and one of his friends.

"Hey," he said, looking at her with an amused smile on his face.

"Hey," Sam replied. Knowing what caused the smile she said, "Sorry again about running into you this morning."

"No problem, Brat," Jake said. He turned his head to look at Jen so that Sam couldn't see his face.

"I'm not moving," Jen said flatly. Jake rolled his eyes and walked around to the other side of the table to sit down, his friend following.

"Are you still gonna call her that?" Darrel asked Jake with disbelief.

"What?" Jake asked.

"Brat? Aren't you gonna call her something else? Like, I dunno, babe or something?"

Simultaneously all three girls present snorted and choked on their drinks. "_Babe_?" Jen managed to gasp out, clutching her side for support.

"What?" Darrel asked defensively. "I call Ally that."

"But that's you," Ally said laughing. "Can you really picture Jake using that term?"

Darrel muttered something under his breath but Sam didn't catch it. She was looking at Jake.

Only the corners of his lips showed his tiny smile but his dark eyes were laughing. "I think Brat works for us," he said in a low voice, to no one in particular. His eyes watched hers for a moment, just to make sure she agreed and he relaxed when he saw her consent.

Sam couldn't help but feel a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. The way he said '_us'_ left no doubt in her mind that Jake considered them what Jen called an 'item'. There was no way he would say that in front of both of their friends if he didn't mean it. It also surprised her that she wasn't irritated by his nickname for her. Admittedly, it had annoyed her in the past but for the last while she had merely protested his use of it out of habit rather than true dislike.

Finally the last bell of the day rang and Sam shuffled out of the classroom and headed to her locker.

"Bye Sam!" Someone called from behind her.

She turned to wave at them. "Bye—" She called, cutting off as she hit something, or rather, someone.

"I'm beginnin' to think you're making a habit of this," Jake said, catching her against his chest.

"Sorry," Sam said sheepishly.

"No problem," Jake said, unexpectedly leaning forward and brushing across her lips with his own.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Sam groaned and turned to Daisy with an exasperated look. Ever since Rachel had left Daisy had been attempting to take over her position as the high school's self appointed princess. So far all of her attempts had yet to succeed but it wasn't for lacking of trying.

Wordlessly both Sam and Jake turned and headed for the school's parking lot.

"Hey! You can't—don't just walk away!"

When they reached the parking lot Jake turned to her. "I'll be over later tonight, 'kay?"

Sam nodded. "See ya then," she said, and boldly reached up on her tippy-toes to give him a brief peck on his lips. It was the first time she had initiated the kiss and she was relieved that it wasn't as hard as she had feared. She felt Jake's lips twitch in that small lopsided smile of his and when she stepped back she found him looking to the side, a tiny smile threatening to break onto his face, and his right hand rubbing at the back of his neck. Sam couldn't help but smile as she walked towards her bus. A moment ago he had kissed her like it was completely natural and now he was back to being shy about it.

'_There's Jake for you,_' she thought to herself.

She boarded the bus and located Jen in their customary seat.

"That was cute," Jen said as Sam sat down next to her.

"What was?" Sam asked.

"That," Jen said, waving her arms around as though it helped convey her message. "As much as I am repulsed by it, I still find it kind of cute."

"Oh, that," Sam said, catching on.

"Anyway, I'll call you tonight as soon as they tell me the news and I've told Ryan."

"You'll call me _after_ Ryan?" Sam asked in disbelief. She knew Jen and Ryan were 'together' but wasn't there some kind of 'friends first' rule or something when it came to boys?

Jen blinked. "Well yeah. If I call Ryan first then I can tell you what my parents _and_ he said, instead of calling you twice."

"Oh, point taken."

When Sam arrived home at the ranch she walked into the house and announced her arrival.

Gram and Brynna were seated at the table with almost-empty coffee mugs in their hands. Brynna winced as a wailing sound started from upstairs.

"Sorry," Sam whispered, as if hoping her quiet voice would take back her previous loud exclamation.

"Oh, that's okay," Brynna assured her. "I was about to go wake him up and feed him anyway." She stood and leaned over to kiss Sam's cheek before disappearing upstairs.

Gram smiled at Sam. "There's a mug of hot cocoa waiting for you on the counter with a plate of cookies, dear."

"Mmm," Sam hummed appreciatively; swooping in to kiss her gram's wrinkled cheek on her way to the counter.

"How was school?" Gram asked from the table.

Sam gulped down a mouthful of the cocoa, hissing as it burned the inside of her mouth. She sucked in a breath of air to try and cool her tongue. "Oh, it was alright," she said after moment. "Nothing tremendously exciting…"

"And how is Jen?" Gram asked mildly.

"She's fine. You know—just being Jen."

"And Jake?"

"He's fine too. I ran into him twice today," Sam said.

"Well that's not surprising, sweetheart. It's a fairly small school," Gram reminded her.

It took a moment for Sam to make sense of Gram's words and then, finally, she understood. "Oh, no. I meant I literally ran into him," she explained.

Gram gave her a mildly questioning look. "I wasn't paying attention…" Sam mumbled by way of explanation.

When she finished her hot chocolate and snack, Sam went upstairs and changed into a worn pair of faded blue jeans and an old hoodie sweater. As she made her way down the stairs, she could hear Brynna singing softly to Cody.

"_Rock-a-bye, baby,_

_On the tree top,_

_When the wind blows,_

_The cradle will rock…"_

At the base of the stairs Sam said to Gram, "I'm heading out to have a quick ride on Ace and do chores, okay?"

"Make sure you're back in time to put in an hour's worth of homework before dinner."

Sam nodded and grabbed her coat. She pulled on her boots and hat and headed to the barn.

"Hey baby," she crooned to Ace. "We'll only be out for about twenty minutes. So how 'bout we go bareback, eh?"

Ace bobbed his head in what Sam took to be agreement and she laughed. "I _told_ Jen you can understand me."

Feeling too lazy to even grab his bridle, Sam clipped a lead rope onto Ace's halter and led him from his stall to the sand ring. Then she tied the other end of the rope to the other side of the halter and swung herself up onto his back.

"No running today, pretty boy," Sam told her mustang firmly. "Just the boring stuff."

For the next twenty minutes Sam put Ace through his paces and had him jog and lope circles of various sizes and figure eights in both directions. She worked on keeping her seat as he moved at his bouncy trot and then practiced her roping and cutting on the practice dummy set up in the corner of the pen. To finish up she had him go through his transitions; from standstill to walk, to trot, to lope and back down again and then from standstill to lope and back.

"Good boy, Ace," she said, giving his shoulder a strong pat. His hide was warm but he wasn't sweaty or breathing hard. He was a fit ranch pony and a brief workout like that was nothing to him.

"Lookin' good, Sam," she heard someone say.

She turned to see Pepper leaning against the rails of the pen.

"Thanks," Sam said, smiling.

"Has a lot more respect for you now than when you first got on him, eh?" Pepper mused.

Sam laughed. "I like to think so but he still does the rudest of tricks at the most inconvenient of times—"

As if to prove her right Ace let out a buck that sent Sam jolting forward with surprise. She managed to stay seated but when she felt him bunch up again and lower his head to do it again, she dug her heels into his sides and drove him forward. She didn't relent until she felt him loosen his body and relax.

"That's better," Sam said. She looked back at Pepper. "See?"

She heard him chuckle as she slipped down the side of the little bay's back.

After she gave Ace a thorough grooming and put him away in his stall, Sam zipped through her chores with lightening speed. At last she gave the floor a final sweep and glanced at her watch. It had been a gift from her Aunt Sue to celebrate Sam becoming a 'big sister' and at the moment it read 4:57pm. The Forsters ate dinner at 6:00pm and so that gave her time to put in the required hour for homework.

Suddenly Sam felt the hairs at the back of her neck prickle and she froze, sensing someone else's presence behind her. Before she could think of what to do a hand came out of nowhere and covered her mouth and she was pulled back against a man's hard chest.

She let out a smothered scream before she recognized the person's scent. A mixture of the 'just showered' smell and some kind of subtle but spicy aroma alerted her of her attacker's identity. Her lips curled into a smirk and she flicked her tongue out to lick the person's palm.

Quickly the person pulled it back and Sam turned to laugh at the disgusted expression on Jake's face.

"Serves you right," Sam grinned. "You're early for dinner. I have to do homework so I can't hangout."

"That's fine."

Just before they left the barn, Sam thought of something and paused, turning to Jake. "You know, you didn't really tell me what you wanted from me. About what this is, between us," Sam said cautiously. "I was kind of surprised at school today...when you...you know. Acted liked we were together." She wanted to hear it straight out from him.

Jake looked at her with raised eyebrows. "You know what I want Sam. Do you really need me to tell you like we're in some Hollywood chickflick?"

Sam bristled at his sarcasm. "I don't need a fancy line, Ely. But it would have been nice if you'd accompanied that kiss with a 'Hey Sam, wanna be my girlfriend?' like a normal teenage boy. It would have saved me a couple days of wondering exactly what we were!" she said with a humph and made to walk by him.

Jake grabbed her arm, pulling her back towards him. "Hey Sam, wanna be my girlfriend?" He must have taken her surprised squeak as a yes because then he kissed her.

Once they were in the house Sam went up to her room to get her homework. She came back down a few minutes later and looked around. "Jake?"

"In the living room with Brynna," Gram answered. "But don't forget about that homework. We saw your mid-term mark in math, Samantha. You've got to bring that up."

Sam nodded with a sigh and carried her notebook, calculator, and pencil case into the living room. She was about to say something when the scene in front of her made her stop to catch her breath.

Jake was sitting at one end of the couch with Brynna at the other end. In Jake's arms was Cody. He held the baby gingerly, as though afraid to break him. Cody's head rested inside of Jake's palm and his tiny fingers had curled into an adorable fist around Jake's thumb.

Sam set her school stuff down on a chair and walked over towards them. She sat on the arm of the couch and leaned her side against Jake, careful not to disturb her little brother.

Brynna got up and stretched. "I'll be right back. I just need to use the washroom."

When she left the room Jake looked up at Sam. "He's really small," he said in a low voice.

"Yeah, I know," Sam said softly. She smiled down at him, finding herself fascinated with the way Jake seemed in awe of the baby.

"Thanks, Jake," Brynna said, coming back into the room. She held her arms out and Jake carefully handed Cody over to her. "I'll leave you here but Sam—"

"Homework, I know."

Brynna smiled. "Good." With that she turned and headed into the kitchen.

"What do you have?" Jake asked.

"Math," Sam groaned. "Will you help me?" She widened her eyes and pouted her bottom lip.

"All right, Brat," Jake sighed, looking away. Sam grinned knowing Jake couldn't deny her anything when she asked like that. "Show me the work."

About forty-five minutes later everyone was seated around the table eating dinner. Gram had made honey garlic wings and mashed potatoes and everyone was enjoying the food too much to carry very much conversation.

"Mmm. This is really good, Gram," Sam said, raising a chicken wing enthusiastically.

Gram opened her mouth to reply when the phone rang. "Lands!" she exclaimed, clutching her chest as though it had startled her. "Who would be calling at the supper hour?" she wondered aloud.

Immediately Sam jumped up, smacking her knee against the table. "Ow, ow!" She whimpered as she hobbled over to the phone. She sent Jake a glare when she heard his snort.

"Hello?" she asked.

"They're letting me go!" Jen squealed shrilly in a completely un-like Jen manner.

Sam winced and held the phone away from her ear. "They are?" She gasped. Simultaneously both girls let out an excited shriek. "That's great, Jen! Oh my gosh, this is awesome. Um," she caught the looks from the adults at the table, "But I'm going to have to call you later, okay? We're eating right now."

"Yeah," Jen said breathlessly. "I know. I just had to call you as soon as I found out. But I have to go too."

"Bye!"

"Bye!"

Sam hung up the phone and turned back to the table, grinning. She was met with incredulous looks and raised eyebrows. Grinning sheepishly she took her seat at the table. Everyone resumed their eating in silence but Sam felt Jake nudge her leg from under the table.

"Nice going, _Brat_."

"Shut up, _Jacob_."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

After everyone had finished eating their dinner the adults left to watch some T.V in the living room and left Sam to wash the dishes in the kitchen sink. Jake had wisely opted to stay with her but even so, it was times like these that Sam really wished her family would think about getting a dish washer.

"That was Jen calling?" Jake asked, leaning against the countertop opposite her and watching her start to the run warm water in the sink.

"Yeah," Sam said. "She wanted to let me know what her parents had decided." When the sink had filled she poured some liquid soap into the water and grabbed a cloth before submerging a dirty plate under the soapy water.

She saw from Jake's expression that he was waiting for her to continue to explain what she was talking about but she decided not to say anything, knowing that it would irritate him. It was a small thing but it gave her some satisfaction after he had laughed at her hitting her knee on the table. She hid a smirk and continued to wash the plate, seemingly oblivious to his impatience.

The minutes stretched on and Sam saw Jake clench his jaw in frustration. He knew she was trying to goad him and he didn't want to give in but when something caught his attention, he just couldn't let go. Finally she heard him ask, "Decide what?"

Instead of answering right away, Sam glanced at him and then handed him a clean plate to put away. She could almost understand why he got annoyed with her when she took such pleasure in being difficult. Silently Jake took the plate from her hands and turned to reach up and put it away in the wooden cupboard to the left behind him with the others. She liked how he knew where everything was in her house.

"Ryan is taking her to England with him for a week and a half," Sam told him finally. She was curious to see how Jake would react to the news, knowing that he always had a bit an issue with the young Slocum.

His face as impassive as ever, Jake simply said, "Huh". Sam sighed. She should have known better than to expect any kind of real reaction from him. However, she was able to read him well enough to realize he wasn't very impressed.

"I know," Sam said, agreeing. "But I'm trying to be happy for her because she's really excited for it. It could be good for her. Either she'll go, have fun, and come home happy or she'll return with a slightly different perspective of Ryan Slocum. Neither possibility is really bad when you think about it."

"Sounds like you've put some thought into this," Jake observed.

"Yeah," Sam admitted. "I know Jen likes Ryan and I want her to be happy so I'll support whatever she does. I mean, for the most part Ryan is a pretty good guy, right?" Jake shrugged noncommittally and Sam continued, "Well _I _think he is. It's just that—"

"He's still a Slocum," Jake finished for her.

She nodded worriedly and they finished the rest of the dishes in silence.

Sam drained the water from the sink and then dried her hands on a clean cloth. She turned to face Jake and studied his face for a moment. He let her and stared right back. She became self-conscious when his dark eyes didn't look away so she ducked her head. "I want to go say goodnight to Ace and Tempest and everyone."

"Kay."

They moved over toward the door and pulled on their boats and coats. "Dad," Sam called. "Jake and I are going to check on the horses. We'll be back in a few minutes."

There was a slight pause before her dad called back through the doorway of the other room. "Alright, don't be too long."

The two of them walked out onto the porch and then down to the barn where Ace and Tempest had been turned in for the night. When they walked inside the barn was dark but they were greeted by a low and welcoming nicker from Ace and an inquisitive squeal from the little black filly.

"Hello," Sam cooed to them. She walked over to the nearest stall, Ace's, and leaned against the door. Ace poked his head out at her and she wrapped her arms around his neck for a moment, breathing in his horsey smell. Sam sighed. There wasn't a scent she liked more than the smell of horses. She pulled back and placed her hands on either side of her little bay's head. "You're just so cute," she told him softly and planted a kiss just below his forelock and another one on the velvety part of his nose. She was still admiring him dreamily when an angry squeal and a thump against the wall in between the two stalls alerted her to Tempest's calls for attention. She frowned good-naturedly and moved over to the filly's stall.

Jake frowned too but his expression was not quite so tolerant. "She's going to be a handful, Brat," he said warningly.

Sam sighed and resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him. She knew it would do no good and only earn her a lecture on safety. "I _know_ that, Jake. Look at her dam and sire. Do you really think I would expect her to be anything but a handful?"

Jake glared at her. To soften her earlier statement she added, "But why would I worry when I have you to help me?" she teased.

She saw the beginnings of a smile but then Jake frowned again. "Brat, I'll be at college when you start training her under saddle," he reminded her.

"Oh yeah," Sam said softly. She had forgotten about that. Thinking to herself, she stroked Tempest's neck slowly. "But…you'll still be here to help me pony her with Ace," she said. "And, there are always the breaks…and you've taught me things."

"Yeah," Jake said slowly. She could tell he wasn't really thinking about Tempest's training though. Instead he was thinking about the same thing she was. About them.

What would they do? Momentarily Sam panicked but then she decided she didn't want to think about it right then. It was too early. "You still have until the end of summer vacation," she pointed out.

"It's not that far away, Sam," Jake told her, sensing her unwillingness to discuss the matter. "It's January now. Before you know it, it'll be spring and then there are only a few short months before I have to leave."

"We have over half a year—" Sam began but Jake cut her off.

"The months go by quickly," Jake warned.

"Look, Jake," Sam said, upset. "Let's just forget about that right now. Can we just deal with that when it comes closer to the time?" she pleaded.

She saw the reluctance in his face. It wasn't generally Jake's way to avoid things. "Alright," he said finally.

Sam breathed a small sigh of relief but yelped when Tempest bit her finger. "No," she said sternly and gave the filly a small but firm smack on the nose. "Ow," she whimpered, shaking her hand as though it would help to dull the pain.

Jake grabbed her hand and examined it. "She didn't even break the skin," he said looking at her. Sam sighed. Clearly he was telling her to get over it.

"It still hurts," Sam said sulkily.

"Let's go inside and you can put some ice on it then," Jake suggested. She could tell he didn't think it was worth it but was suggesting it for her sake.

"No," Sam said, "It's not that bad. But we should go inside anyway. My dad said not to be out for long."

Jake nodded and Sam blew one last kiss to both her horses before turning and exiting the barn with him.

When they entered the kitchen Brynna was just getting off the phone. "Oh, here he is. I'll tell him. Okay, bye."

They waited at the door until she hung up. "That was your mom, Jake," Brynna said. "She wants you to start riding back home now because she doesn't want you out riding alone late at night during the winter."

Jake nodded. "Yes ma'am."

He tipped his hat in Brynna's direction and turned to Sam with a nod before walking out the door again. With a quick glance at Brynna, who nodded, Sam went out after him to say goodbye.

He turned back towards her when he heard her footsteps on the porch and waited for her to walk up to him.

"I'm sorry for being such a baby about the college thing, Jake," Sam apologized. He looked at her in surprise but said nothing. "I guess I just don't want to think about life without you around, you know?" He gave a slight nod. "I really depend on you a lot."

"Don't I know it," Jake agreed and Sam glared at him jokingly.

"Anyway," she continued. "I'll work it out," she said with more conviction than she felt.

"I know you will," Jake said.

Sam stepped forward to give him a hug. As she leaned against him she found her mind wandering towards the Phantom. She wasn't sure why but her mind always seemed to find its way to that topic. She knew he would be in his secret valley with the rest of his herd, but she couldn't repress the instinct to check up on him and make sure he was safe from harm. It felt like she hadn't seen him in such a long time and she desperately wanted to make sure that the entire herd had escaped the avalanche.

"Thinkin' 'bout your horse, Brat?" Jake asked. It was uncanny the way he could read her mind so well.

"Yeah," she admitted, stepping back from him. "I know he's fine but I'd just like to see him again."

"We could ride out after school tomorrow, if you want."

Sam tensed unconsciously. She knew that Jake meant well by his offer and even though she knew that he was aware of the Phantom's 'secret' valley, she was still very wary about amount of human contact her horse had.

She wasn't sure what to say. The Phantom was always a bit of a sensitive issue with her and Jake. Partly because of the guilt Jake had about her accident, partly because he was so protective about her and also partly because of trust. She knew that Jake felt that her reluctance to let him to the valley was from a lack of trust and faith in him when really it was just her instinct to shield the herd from any potential problems.

He must have read her expression for he said, "I'll wait by the creek while you check up on him." He said this quietly but not angrily and so Sam figured he didn't want to cause another argument either.

"Um, sure. That sounds good." Silence spanned out while neither could think of what to say.

Finally, "I should get going," Jake said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sam knew that meant he was feeling uncomfortable. "Yeah, you probably should," she agreed. "Well…goodnight."

"G'night," Jake murmured. Even in the darkness she could see the forgiveness in his eyes. Jake knew her well enough to know that she really couldn't help herself when it came to the Phantom. It seemed that this time he was willing to let the issue drop and Sam hoped that it would be that easy in the future. He hesitated and then leaned forward to brush his lips briefly over hers. She smiled at him and he turned away, headed to the paddock where he had kept Witch.

Shivering slightly from the cold (Sam didn't envy Jake the ride home), she decided to head back into the house. The kitchen was warm and comforting and she slipped off her boots, setting them to the side, and hung up her coat and hat on the wall. She walked into the living room and sank into a comfy arm chair, staring listlessly at the T.V screen.

Suddenly the phone rang and Sam jumped. "I'll get it," she announced, running back into the kitchen and over to grab it off the receiver.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Sam?"

"Aunt Sue?" she asked incredulously.

"It sure is, honey," her aunt said over the phone. "How are you?"

"I'm fine—great actually. How are you?"

"Oh I'm fine, don't worry. I just wanted to call and let you know that my flight has been confirmed and I should be arriving at the ranch by tomorrow evening at the latest."

"You're coming to River Bend?" Sam exclaimed.

There was a pause at the other end of the line. "Oops," Aunt Sue giggled sheepishly. "I guess they haven't told you yet."

Sam laughed. "No, they hadn't."

"Oh, I'm sorry to ruin your surprise, Sam. Yes, I'm coming to stay at the ranch for a few days." Sam let out a whoop, forgetting that Cody had been put to bed. Thankfully no crying started from the upstairs so Sam guessed that he hadn't heard. "Why don't you put on your dad or Brynna?" Aunt Sue continued.

"Sure," Sam said. She covered the mouthpiece of the telephone and called, "Brynna! Dad! Aunt Sue wants to talk with one of you." She heard the rustling of someone getting up and Brynna appeared in the kitchen, one finger raised to her mouth to shush her.

Sam grinned sheepishly, realizing she was being too loud again before handing over the phone to her step mother. "Thanks," Brynna said, taking it from her.

"Hi there Sue," she said and made a shooing motion at Sam with her hand. "Oh no, we hadn't told her yet. That's okay."

Sensing that she wasn't welcome to listen to the conversation, Sam decided to go upstairs and read a book that she had borrowed from Jen before going to bed. She didn't feel like watching T.V with the others and she was pretty tired.

She went upstairs and changed into some baggy red pajama bottoms and a long sleeved night shirt before heading to the bathroom down the hall and brushing her teeth and washing her face. Then she tiptoed back to her room, careful not to disturb the baby, and curled up under the covers of her bed with the book.

Later, when the adults headed up to bed, her father peered into her room to check on her. The light was still on but Sam was curled up, deep in sleep, with the book still lightly clutched in her hands. Wyatt walked over towards the bed, turned on her alarm clock so that she would be up in time for the next day, and leaned over to take the book from her. _Black Beauty_. He smiled. It seemed like a book Sam would like. He set it on her bedside table and leaned over to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Sleep well, Samantha," he whispered softly. Then he headed back out of the room, switching off the light and closing the door behind him.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

The next morning Sam awoke to the sound of her alarm and groaned. It had been a bit of a late night and she didn't even remember falling asleep. She switched off her alarm and dragged her blankets off from her body, sitting up and shivering at the feel of the cool air. For a moment she just sat there, unwilling to completely get off her bed.

Suddenly Brynna poked her head in the door. "Oh, good. You're up. Do you want something hot to drink?"

Sam nodded and suppressed a yawn. "Yes please," she said sleepily.

"I'll have it ready for when you come down stairs," her stepmother promised. "Now come on! Up and at it!"

Sam waited until she had left before collapsing back onto her bed. "Mmm…"

"Sam! I heard the bed creak! Get up!" Brynna yelled from the hall.

Grumbling, Sam swung her feet over the side of her bed and stood up. She hated the touch of the cold floor under her feet. Quickly she went to her dresser grabbed a pair of jeans and a bulky hoodie, and threw them on in record time.

When she came downstairs Brynna was just pouring her drink into a thermos for her to take to the barn and Gram had assembled the eggs and bacon for breakfast. "There you are, Sam," Brynna said, handing her the thermos.

"Thanks." Sam took a sip and sighed. It was too hot but it tasted really good. It was Brynna's special coffee with lots of cream and sugar and the taste was growing on her.

Just then her father came down the stairs also dressed in warm clothes. "Starting on your chores?" Sam nodded. "Good. I'll be out in a minute."

With another nod Sam put on her heavy barn coat and hat, pulled on her boots and gloves and headed out the door. It was cold and slightly windy but once she reached the barn it was warmer.

"Hey pretty horses," Sam cooed. She gave them all a pat on the neck and went about her chores. Her father came out a minute or so later and they fed, watered and cleaned stalls together in companionable silence.

About twenty minutes later they both entered the house again, faces flushed from the cold. "Breakfast's on the table," Gram said.

Quickly Sam took off her outdoor clothing and seated herself at the table. She helped herself to a generous serving of scrambled eggs and bacon and finished off her coffee.

"Your aunt will be here this evening Sam," Brynna reminded her. "So we'd like for you to tidy the house a bit and clean your room after you get home from school."

Sam sighed. "But Jake and I are going for a ride—"

"That will have to wait," her father said sternly. Sam looked away but nodded reluctantly.

"Besides," Brynna pointed out. "You've been spending a lot of time with Jake lately. Your aunt doesn't come here very often and you know how she hates a messy bedroom."

"Fine," Sam sighed, ignoring the comment about Jake. "I've got to shower before school." The adults watched her retreat up the stairs and exchanged looks.

Sam and Jen were seated at their usual table in the cafeteria, talking. Jake had told her that he wouldn't be at lunch because of a meeting about the upcoming track season and she found herself glad. She wanted to ask Jen something that she didn't want him present for.

She was about to ask when Jen said, "Nice outfit by the way. I noticed it this morning but there was no time to tell you."

"Oh," Sam said, looking down at herself, "Thanks." She was wearing a dark blue long sleeved shirt paired with a pair of dark blue jeans but hadn't thought much of it.

"Um. I wanted to ask you something," she began. Jen nodded encouragingly. "Well, you know how Jake and I are…well. You know…"

"In love?"

Sam blushed. "Well, I don't know about that but—together?"

"You don't love him?"

"I didn't say that."

"Yes you did."

"Well…I don't know, Jen. I really care about him but we're really new. I can't say that yet."

"Alright," Jen said, letting it drop. "Well, what did you want to ask me?" she asked.

"How should I tell my family? I know they sort of know something is going on. Brynna keeps dropping hints and Gram and Dad kind of look at me that _way_ they always do when they know something about me that I haven't told them about. Brynna is looking for a confession but I don't know how to bring it up. It's so awkward talking about it. One time she asked me what my _type_ was and I couldn't even handle that!"

"Then don't say anything," Jen said matter-of-factly. "I'm sure they already know. They just want to hear it. I don't think it matters. They'll catch on when Jake hangs around a lot and you do stuff together."

"Hmm," Sam said, unsatisfied. She didn't think her family would like that. "How did you tell your parents about Ryan?"

"I didn't exactly. My mom and I were letting some of the horses out and Ryan was riding around in the pasture. She kind of looked at me out of the corner of her eye and said, 'He's a nice boy, Jen.' And when I didn't say anything she said, 'You're a lucky girl.' So I looked at her and said, 'Yes, yes I am.'" Jen laughed. "I think it was established in that moment. She probably told my dad. We don't talk about it much but they accept it."

"I don't think it will go so smoothly for me," Sam complained.

"Why? Your family loves Jake."

"Yeah, but I don't think my dad intended for this. At least not for another ten years." Sam laughed. "He likes to think he can depend on Jake to teach me stuff, help me and protect me. He probably thinks Jake's role will change if we're together. Have trust issues, you know?"

"He'll get over it," Jen said confidently.

"Maybe," Sam conceded. "But I'm still his baby. He isn't as thrilled as Brynna and Gram by the idea of me having a boyfriend."

Just then Aly came to sit with them. "Hey," she said.

They greeted her back and then suddenly Sam remembered something. "Oh, Jen! I just remembered. Brynna said I could ride Silly for you! Mrs. Allen doesn't need my help with Darby so I'm free!"

"Awesome!" Jen exclaimed and the two exchanged high fives.

Aly looked at them wistfully. "I wish I could ride as often as you two."

Sam glanced at Jen and they both smiled. They knew they were lucky to have the freedom of riding whenever they wanted to. "Well when Jen is in England if I ride Silly then Ace won't get enough exercise. You could come ride him with me, if you want," Sam offered.

"Really?" Aly asked, her delicate face lighting up and her eyes widening. Sam nodded. "That would be great. Thank you!"

Sam smiled. "No problem."

Just then the bell rang and the three girls sprang to their feet. "See you later!" They chorused before heading to their lockers, and then their classes.

At the end of the day Sam met Jake outside the school. "I forgot to tell you, my parents are making me clean my room _and_ the entire house after school before my aunt gets here. So I can't go riding," she pouted.

Jake grinned. "Well if you had kept it clean in the first place then you wouldn't have to deal with it now."

Sam made a face and stuck her tongue out at him. "You could come over anyway, if you wanted to. I might make you help me though." He made a face and she laughed. "But…if you come you can have some of the cherry pie from last night. It's the same recipe that Gram used for the New Year's Eve party, remember?"

Jake nodded and Sam smiled. Jake had a weakness for food in general, but especially for desserts.

"Well if I get some of that pie, I guess I can't refuse," Jake teased. "So do you want a ride home then?"

"No thanks," Sam said. "I value my time on the bus with Jen," she teased back. "I wouldn't give it up even to be with you."

Instead of looking offended Jake smiled. "Well I guess I don't have to worry about you becoming one of those clingy girlfriends, huh?"

Sam frowned. "Did you think that I would?" she demanded.

"Well…not really. It doesn't really seem like you but—"

"Darn right it isn't like me!" Sam huffed angrily.

"Sam—"

"See you later, Ely," Sam said turning away and storming onto the bus. She couldn't even really explain why that exchange had upset her so much. Maybe because it touched on her own fear of turning into a clingy, annoying girlfriend. Regardless, Jake should have known better than to accuse her of such a thing.

She sat down next to Jen with a scowl on her face. "Uh-oh," her friend said. "Trouble in paradise?"

"I can't believe he said he was worried about me getting clingy!" Sam exclaimed. "I mean me? That isn't me at all!"

"He said that?" Jen asked incredulously. "He's dumber than I thought."

Sam retold the conversation and Jen sighed. "He walked right into that one. Anyway, I have to admit. I'm relieved that you're going to keep riding the bus with me. I was worried that we'd have less time to talk and stuff."

Sam smiled and gave her friend a one-armed hug. "Come on Jen. You know I love you. What's that saying? Something about boys come and go but friends are forever? You are forever, my friend. I'm not going to mess that up."

Jen laughed and returned the hug but said seriously, "We both know that Ely isn't just going to come and go in your life, Sam."

Sam chose not to answer.

When she got home Sam dropped her back pack to the ground and grabbed a cookie from the cookie jar.

There was a note on the fridge saying that Gram, Brynna and Cody had all gone grocery shopping for tonight's dinner and her dad was out on the range. She sighed and looked around the kitchen. It was pretty spotless except for a couple of plates and cups that were in the sink waiting to be washed. She filled the sink with hot water and soap and quickly washed, dried and put the dishes in their proper spots. Then she took a cloth and ran it over the counter and table tops.

"Hopefully the rest of the house is that easy to clean," she said to herself walking over to the living room and nearly tripping over her cat. "Cougar!" she scolded, picking him up. "Don't get in the way," she said, looking him straight in the eyes. Then she kissed him on the nose and gave him a quick scratch behind the ears before setting him down again.

The living room had some books and magazines lying around so she put those on the shelf and straightened up the cushions on the couch and chairs. Then she went to the kitchen and grabbed the cloth again and ran it over the top of the T.V and the coffee tables to get rid of the dust. She was about to get the vacuum when there was a knock at the door.

Probably Jake, she thought and put on a brave face. However, when she opened the door it was Ryan who stood on the porch. "Ryan?" she asked with surprise.

"May I come in, please?" He inquired.

"Yeah sure," Sam said, widening the door and allowing him to walk through. "Here, I'll take your coat."

"Thank you, Samantha."

"So…sit down. Do you want something to drink or anything?"

"Tea would be lovely."

She should have known. He was British after all. "Sure," she said, filling the kettle and putting it on.

She waited for him to explain his presence but he said nothing. "What brings you here?" she asked finally.

"It's actually a bit of a complicated matter actually. It's about Jen. You see—I really like her. She's an amazing girl and so refreshing from the others that I've met."

Sam nodded, not sure where this was leading. The kettle whistled and she poured the water over the teabag in the teapot.

"I invited her to come to England with me as I'm sure you know. I would like for her to meet my mother and see where I grew up. I think she will like it. I have a lot of horses in England and a big riding facility. But—well Rachel is living there now. While she won't be in the stables at all she will probably dine with us and I know that they weren't on the best of terms. My mother—she is a reasonable woman. Quite unlike my father actually. But she is protective of me and wants the very best for Rachel and me. I'm afraid she may be somewhat sceptical of Jen. Only at first, likely, but still—I, I don't want Jen to feel unwelcome. Do you think I should tell her not to come?"

Sam didn't know what to say. "I guess you haven't talked to her about this, then?"

Ryan shook his head. "No. I wasn't sure what to say."

"Well I think you need to talk to her about it, not me," Sam told him. "Remember the whole cowboy up thing?"

"But—"

"Jen deserves to decide for herself. If she thinks she can handle a little scepticism then she shouldn't be denied this wonderful opportunity. I know she's looking forward to it. She really likes you, Ryan but you have to be honest with her and you have to give her the chance to make decisions for herself."

"I suppose you're right," he admitted. "It doesn't seem so difficult now. You sure have a way of making the answer seem obvious, Sam."

She grinned and poured him a cup of tea, setting out the milk and sugar too. "Some people would say I always choose the most difficult path."

"Maybe it's easier to look and see the right thing to do in someone else's life rather than your own."

"Maybe," Sam agreed.

They sipped their drinks in silence for a few minutes. "So how are you and Ely?"

"How did you know?" Sam asked.

Ryan rolled his eyes. "Small town, news travels fast." He grinned at her expression. "Jen told me."

"Oh. Well…not so well actually. Me and Jake, I mean."

"What happened?" Ryan asked, sounding genuinely interested.

Sam sighed and debated telling him. "Well…" she began. "Today he just said something that really grated on my nerves." Ryan raised an eyebrow, asking for details but she shook her head. "I know you and Jake don't like each other. I don't want to give you anything to use against him."

"So you aren't that furious with him," Ryan stated.

"I guess not. I think he was just teasing me now that I look back to it but the insinuation made me so angry I kind of took it the wrong way."

"It's easy to do sometimes. Oh, and just for the record. Jake and I don't really hate each other. We aren't friends, no, but I respect him and I think he has an inkling of respect for me too."

Sam laughed. "Maybe deep, deep down he does."

Ryan smiled. "Maybe." He drained the last bit of tea from his mug.

"Would you like some more?" Sam asked.

"No, thank you. I should go talk to Jen while I have this lecture from you fresh in my mind." Sam blushed. "Thank you though. You always seem to set me straight."

She got up and walked him to the door. As Ryan pulled on his coat, they heard a truck drive up. Sam tensed. Ryan looked at her. "Good luck." They both knew it was Jake.

Sure enough when Ryan opened the door to leave there was Jake walking towards them. He stopped when he saw Ryan and looked from him to Sam and back again, not saying anything.

"Thank you for that, Samantha. I will see you around some other time."

"No problem," Sam said.

As Jake walked up towards them Ryan gave her a wink that made her smile before heading to his car and leaving the two of them alone.

"Why was Slocum here?" Jake asked.

"He needed some advice," Sam said quietly.

"Hmm," Jake said.

"Look—Jake, I'm sorry. I really took it badly. I shouldn't have gotten mad."

Jake looked at her in surprise. "I thought I was the one who was s'pose to be apologizing."

Sam sighed. "I thought so too but I feel really stupid right now because I realize you were just teasing me and you didn't actually say anything wrong. I guess...I just don't want to turn into a clingy girlfriend. I've been worrying about it and to hear you say it just...yeah. Set me off."

He considered her silently for a moment and then said, "Well, I don't think you're going to turn into one of _those_. And if you start to show signs of it, I'll tell you, okay?"

"Yeah." They were silent for a while and then Sam said, "Hey Jake—do you want some pie?"

He allowed a brief grin to cross his face and nodded. The two of them went into the house and Sam cut them both a slice. "Tea?" She asked. He gave her a disbelieving look. "I just thought I'd ask. There's some left from when Ryan was over."

She brought the pie over to the table. "Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you told you family about…us?"

"Didn't have to," he said between bites of pie.

Sam frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Between all the yelling and teasing from my brothers I'm pretty sure my parents got the idea. Kit told them all and hardly anything's a secret at my house."

"Oh."

"Why you askin'?"

"I haven't really told my family yet. I think they know but they're all waiting for me to say something."

"Huh," was his only reply.

Sam gave an exasperated sigh that made him look at her with concern. "Well? Do you have any ideas?"

Jake chuckled lowly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Not really," he admitted.

"Guess I'm on my own then," Sam said.

Sam glanced at the clock and gasped. It was 4:30pm and Gram and Brynna were picking her Aunt Sue up and bringing her home for 5:00! "Jake! I have to clean!" Sam yelled, jumping up and grabbing the vacuum.

She plugged it in hurriedly and started to run it frantically over the carpet. Jake watched her with an amused expression until she told him to wash the dishes. Reluctantly he did as he was told and for the next ten minutes nothing was heard except for the buzz of the vacuum.

Sam put away the vacuum, tidied the sink in the washroom, finished putting things away in the living room and then went over to Jake. He had already put the dishes away and had even straightened up the coats and boots by the door.

Sam dragged him up the stairs to her room and quickly peeked in to make sure nothing embarrassing was lying around. "Ok, you put the books and magazines away and I'll get the clothes."

With a sigh Jake followed her into the room and in about fifteen minutes everything was fairly presentable. Back downstairs Sam flopped onto the couch, relieved. "Thank you."

Jake nodded. "I don't think I've ever seen your room before," he said suddenly.

"Oh," Sam said. "I guess you're right. It's messy usually. I guess you could tell."

Jake smirked. "Well I should get going before your folks get here. Don't want to intrude on your family time."

"You practically are family anyway, Jake. But I guess you're right." She stood up and he followed, walking to the door.

She watched him put his coat on and then opened the door. They stood on the porch for a minute, looking away from each other. "I don't like it when you're mad at me,' Jake said glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

"Oh Jake," Sam said, her eyes softening. "I don't like being angry with you. I'll try not to be very often."

He smiled. They both knew it was only a matter of time before they had another argument. It was just the way things were. He tugged her arm so she leaned against him, her arms wrapped around his waist loosely and his around her arms. She looked up at him, "Could we go riding tomorrow if I'm allowed?"

"Actually Brat, me'n Darrel are going to go see a movie tomorrow."

Sam sighed. "The day after?"

"Can you wait that long to see your horse?"

"Maybe."

"Well, if you can't wait. At least be—"

"—Careful, I know," Sam sighed. "You tell me all the time."

Jake sighed and held her close for a moment. It wasn't like him to be so snuggly so Sam took full advantage of it and buried her face into his chest, relishing the feel of his lips pressed against the top of her hair.

Then she tilted her head back to look at him and he brought his face down to kiss her. It wasn't a quick kiss or a shy kiss. It was one of those rare kisses that Jake gave that were slow, long and careful, as though you had all the time in the world. It took her breath away. He was strong but not rough or urgent in any way and Sam just let herself be lost in his embrace. She was so unaware of her surroundings that she almost didn't hear the sound of an approaching vehicle. Both she and Jake broke apart at the same time and looked up to see Brynna's car coming to the bridge across La Charla River. Sam didn't think that they had been seen but she wasn't sure. She stepped out of Jake's arms with a rueful smile and he returned it.

"See you, Sam," he said, walking to his truck. He nodded at touched his hand to his hat as Brynna drove by but didn't wait to talk to them. In a moment he was driving away.

"Hey Sam," Brynna called.

"Hi."

"Sam!"

"Aunt Sue!" Sam squealed, running over to give her aunt a hug. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, sweetheart. You've changed so much. Look at your hair and you've grown—look how lovely you are!" Sam was crushed against her again.

Brynna and Gram laughed. "Let's take this inside and get out of this cold," Brynna suggested, holding Cody closely to her body.

"Great idea!" Aunt Sue said with a wide and cheery smile. She held onto Sam's arm as they walked to the house and Sam couldn't keep the grin off her face. It was going to be so much fun with her aunt there!


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Dinner that night was full of conversation and laughter as Aunt Sue caught up with her sister's family. Sam told her all about what was going on in her classes at school and also all about her adventures with Jen, Jake and Ace. The rest of her family added their own embellishments to her stories and then Aunt Sue shared some of her own with them. She spoke of some of her students back home and also of some of the people that Sam had known back in San Francisco.

"So Sam, have you kept up with your photography hobby?" Aunt Sue asked.

"Yeah," Sam said enthusiastically. "I'm the photo editor for our school paper."

"Congratulations!" Aunt Sue said, beaming.

After dinner was over Aunt Sue went to spend some time cuddling and admiring Cody and watch T.V with Gram and Dad in the next room. That left Brynna and Sam to clean up the kitchen.

"Your aunt adores you," Brynna said to Sam with a smile.

Sam returned the smile and felt a happy, warm feeling surge over her. "Yeah," she agreed. "I really miss being around her so much. When I was living with her in San Francisco, it was almost like…"

"You had your mom?" Brynna guessed.

Sam inhaled sharply but admitted, "Yes. Everyone tells me they were so different but…they were still sisters. I liked hearing about what they did when they were younger and when my mom came here…" Sam trailed off awkwardly. It was strange speaking of her mother when Brynna and her father had only been married for a year. She didn't want to make her step mom feel uncomfortable.

"Do you miss your mom very often?" Brynna asked softly, almost hesitantly. Sam could tell she was wondering where the boundaries of the subject lay too. "I know you were fairly young when she…well, when she died."

Sam was silent for awhile and she saw that Brynna seemed concerned that she had pried too deeply. "I do," Sam said suddenly. "I miss her alot. I don't remember very much about her but…I miss all the things we never get to do together and how she isn't there every time something happens in my life." To her horror she felt her throat tighten and she hastily turned away so Brynna couldn't see the tears shining in her eyes.

"Oh Sam," Brynna said. "I'm so sorry—I shouldn't have—"

"No, it's okay," Sam told her. "You're part of this family now. You have the right to ask."

Brynna was quiet for a moment and the two of them washed the dishes without looking at each other. Finally, hold the last cup to be washed, Brynna said, "I may have the right to ask but you also have the right not to answer. So thank you for sharing something so special with me, Sam."

Sam finally looked up at her stepmother's face and saw that her eyes were shining with tears. Not a word passed between them but Sam felt a rush of affection and appreciativeness for Brynna. She could have done a lot worse than having her for a stepmother.

Finally after much more talking and a second round of dessert and coffee, Sam was told to go to bed. She was reluctant to leave as she had much more to say to her aunt, but she knew her dad was right. She still had to get up the next morning to do chores before school and it was already 11:30pm.

So with a sigh she had quietly padded up the stairs and snuck in her room. She changed into her pajamas and brushed her teeth in the bathroom making as little noise as possible (she didn't want to wake Cody up when Brynna had just managed to coax him to sleep a little over an hour ago).

Sam flicked off the light in her room and crawled under the blankets of her bed, curling up comfortably, before falling asleep.

She woke to the sound of her alarm and opened her eyes reluctantly. She could have used another couple hours of sleep. With a grunt and a mighty heave she managed to push herself up and swing her feet onto the floor. She was dressed and downstairs less than four minutes later and greeted Gram with a mumbled good morning.

Gram had hot chocolate ready in a thermos for her as she dutifully pulled on her coat, boots and hat before heading out to the barn. It was particularly frosty that morning and Sam was grateful for her warm drink and she pulled her coat tighter to her. With a quick greeting to the horses and a treat for Tempest and Ace, she began her chores.

She was so eager to finish as fast as possible and return to the nice toasty kitchen that she attacked the stalls with ferocious vigour. By the time she was finished mucking out and had moved onto feeding, Sam had almost started to feel too warm underneath all of her layers. When she finished distributing the hay and grain, she hurriedly swept the floor and said good bye to her horses.

When she entered the kitchen again Gram looked up with surprise. "You're done early, Samantha. Breakfast isn't ready yet so you have time for a quick shower now."

"Sure," Sam said leaping up the stairs two at a time.

She returned about ten minutes later and sat down at the table, helping herself to the eggs and bacon. Everyone was already there—Cody included—except Aunt Sue.

As if she had read her mind Gram said, "You aunt is still asleep. I thought she should be allowed to sleep off the traveling time."

When she had finished eating Sam rose from the table, cleaned off her plate and headed upstairs to gather her books and homework. When she came back downstairs her dad was waiting by the door to take her to the bus stop.

For Sam the day seemed to drag on forever. On the bus Jen told her that Ryan had come to talk to her about their trip to England. "He told me that he didn't want me to feel uncomfortable with Rachel there or if his mother was a little reserved at first," Jen said. "He said that if I didn't want to come he would understand and that he just wanted me to understand the whole picture before I made a decision." Jen's voice took on a bewildered edge, "I can't believe he thought Rachel would stop me from coming! I think I've proved I can handle her over the years."

Sam had hid her smile while she listened to her friend. She was glad Ryan had talked it over with Jen. It was a silly little thing but it showed that he really was becoming a better person. She hoped that their trip went well.

She didn't get to see Jake until lunch time and she told him and Jen all about her evening with her aunt. "I'm sure she would love to see both of you again," Sam said.

"Well I'm sure we'll see her sometime," Jen said. "We're around your place a lot." Jake just nodded.

When Sam finally got home that afternoon she found the house to be empty again. As usual, her dad was out around on the ranch. There was a note on the table that said that Brynna was in town for a few hours taking Cody to a check up at the doctor's and Gram had taken Aunt Sue to the mall.

_Perfect, _Sam thought. That meant that there was no one there to ask questions and she could go riding to the Phantom's valley. Quickly she took a piece of paper and wrote down a note of her own.

_I've gone out for a ride. Will be home by dinner, don't worry._

_-Sam_

Sam went upstairs to her room and put on a warmer sweater than the one she had worn to school. Then she came back downstairs and was just about to pull on her boots when the phone rang. She froze, feeling like she was being caught doing something she wasn't supposed to be. The phone rang again and Sam went over to answer it.

"Riverbend Ranch, Samantha Forster speaking," she recited automatically.

"Hey, Brat," came the reply.

"Oh, Jake. Hi. I thought you were going to a movie with Darrel?" Sam said.

"I am. We're just driving into town now. I'm on his cell phone." Over the loud music playing in the background Sam could distinctly hear, "Hey Sammy Girl!"

"Tell Darrel I said hello," Sam said.

Jake ignored this and asked, "What are you up to?"

"Nothing," Sam said quickly. Too quickly. Jake laughed.

"You sound guilty."

"I'm not guilty of anything!" Sam protested heatedly.

"Yet." Jake waited and her silence seemed to confirm his thoughts. "Alright. I know where you're going. Be careful," Jake warned. She could hear the threat behind his words. He knew where she was going and so if she didn't come back he would go after her.

"Yes, _Jacob_. You know I always am." She heard him snort. "I am! You just happen to always be around whenever something goes wrong."

"Do your folks know where you're going?" he asked seriously.

Sam sighed. She shouldn't have picked up the phone. "Well…they aren't here right now, but I'm leaving a note." There was no point in lying. Even if he couldn't see her, Jake could hear a lie in her voice.

Jake sighed. "So I'm the only one who knows where you're going to be?"

"No, _I _know where I'm going to be. That's what's most important."

"You'd better be back before I get home, Brat."

"When's that going to be?"

"We're grabbing a burger or something in town after the movie so probably around 7 or something."

"Well, I'm planning on being back for dinner so that's fine." Silently Sam sighed. The only time she thought Jake talked too much was when it was about her safety. "Look, Jake. I gotta get going now or I won't be back in time."

"Alright," Jake said reluctantly. "I'll see ya later." There was a pause. "Darrel wants to say something to you."

After a moment of shuffling sounds Darrel's voice came onto the phone. "Hey Sammy, what ya doing that's got my man, Jake so uptight?"

Sam couldn't help but roll her eyes. "First of all, Jake is my man, not yours—" she ignored the explosion of laughter that came from the other end of the line, "and second of all, Jake has no reason to be so 'uptight'. I'm just going for a ride."

"Oh yeah. I get ya. You wanna see that horse of yours, eh? Well, no worries Sammy. I'll keep him occupied tonight while you go running around with your horses. He'll forget all about it."

Sam smiled in spite of herself. Darrel was just so disarmingly funny sometimes. "Thanks, Darrel. Can I just say bye to Jake now? I should get going."

"Sure thing, sweetheart," Darrel said.

"Hey," Jake said again.

"Hey, I'm going to head out now and I just want you to know that I will be careful. I don't know why you worry so much—"

"We've been through this before, Sam. You know my reasons and—"

"But you're so over the top about it sometimes!" Sam stopped, realizing this would escalate into another argument.

After a long pause Jake said, "I just don't want you to get hurt again."

"I know and I won't. Trust me, Jake. I'll call you when I get home after dinner, okay?"

"Okay," he agreed.

"Bye."

"Bye."

Sam hung up the phone. Jake worried too much. She walked over to the door and pulled her boots on, followed by her coat and hat and then walked outside to the barn. She gave Ace and quick but thorough grooming and tacked him up quickly. She led him out of the barn and mounted. Then she asked for a brisk jog and headed out over the bridge.

Although it was still winter, there wasn't much snow. Over the past week some seemed to have melted and now it was just cold and the ground was frozen. Sam expected that it would snow again before winter was through. When they reached the other side and Ace's hooves touched the Nevadan soil, Sam asked Ace for a gallop.

He was delighted to oblige and soon Sam felt the cold wind whip across her face and her mustang's long mane brushed across her gloved hands. She closed her eyes for a split second. It felt like she was flying…soaring over the desert. She felt each explosive stride her mustang took and fought the sudden urge to let go of the reins and spread her arms out like wings. She might have done it though, had she not promised Jake to be extra careful. The last thing she need was to fall and get hurt. It would only make him even more fiercely protective and she didn't think she could take any more.

In didn't seem to take long at all to get to the valley where the Phantom's herd was sheltered. Sam shivered happily. It was time to see her horse.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

It only took Sam a couple of seconds to realize that getting into the valley was going to be more difficult than she had previously thought. She had imagined herself finding another entrance that hadn't been blocked off by the avalanche or even finding an easy way to climb down. Unfortunately, she wasn't having any luck with either of those ideas.

For the tenth time in fifteen minutes she walked around the surrounding area, evaluating the easiest way to get in.

"This is ridiculous!" she huffed angrily. For a moment she considered just heading home and waiting until Jake could come with her. She was sure that between the two of them they would be able to figure something out. But no, she had already waited too long to see the Phantom. She had to make sure that he and his herd were safe and well.

With a deep sigh she looked at the rope she had coiled on her saddle. It seemed like her best option right now. She knew Jake would kill her if he ever found out but he wouldn't, because she wasn't going to tell him.

She turned to her little mustang. "Now Ace, I'm going to leave you tied up here and I promise not to take too long so be a good boy." She wrapped his reins as snugly as she could around an oddly shaped outcrop of rock, knowing that he could easily get away but hoping that he wouldn't.

She took the rope from the saddle and then tied one end securely around her waist. Ace snorted and sent her a look that said, 'what do you think you are doing?' but she ignored him and proceeded to look around for something to fasten the other end around. Finally she found another rocky outcrop similar to the one she had tied Ace to but a little more secure.

"Alright," she said leaning against the rope and testing her weight. "Here we go."

For the second time that day Sam found her plans going awry. Climbing down a jagged cliff seemed to be much more difficult then climbing up as Sam couldn't see where she was putting her feet and she kept slipping. Also, she realized once she was a few metres down that her ingenious plan with the rope was quite useless. As she had no pulley system to level herself down, the rope only served as something extra to grab onto if she slipped and would not prevent her from plummeting down to the base of the cliff.

"I guess I'll just have to be extra careful," she muttered under her breath as she continued to make her way down.

It seemed to take hours before she finally made it to the bottom and Sam scolded herself for wearing such thin gloves. The fingertips had been completely torn away during her descent and her hands were cold and worn raw.

She untied the rope from around her waist and left it on the ground before turning and starting into the more sheltered part of the valley where she knew the horses would be. It wasn't long before she was greeted with the sight of horses grazing on the sparse patches of grass that had managed to survive the cold.

A few of the horses on the outskirts of the herd started when she appeared and shied away but Sam noticed two that didn't.

Dark Sunshine was as lovely as ever and happier than Sam had ever seen her. The mare seemed much less agitated and wary with the herd than she had been at Riverbend Ranch, even when she had Tempest. Sam noticed she seemed a little thinner than when she had last seen her but she wasn't too concerned. Sunny had gotten a little plump when she stayed at the ranch due to the fact that she couldn't be ridden or exercised. Besides, mustangs usually did lose some weight during the winter months when food was scarce. She would gain it back come spring time.

The Phantom had stood absolutely still, observing Sam as she approached. She could tell from his relatively relaxed stance that he did not view her as a threat but he watched her intently and his ears twitched as they followed the sounds she made when she moved.

"Hey there boy, my Zanzibar," Sam cooed softly. "How have you been?" Slowly she extended a hand out towards him and to her pleasure he started to walk over to her.

When he was only about a metre and a half away, the stallion stopped and faced her. Sam smiled. He wanted her to meet him halfway. That was fair. So she approached him cautiously at an angle. Horses' eyes were at the side of their heads and so they couldn't see directly in front of them. Sam didn't want to startle him by reaching out to touch his face without him seeing her doing it.

"Zanzibar," she whispered when she was close enough to touch him.

The stallion lowered his head and blew out from his nostrils, accepting her. "That's my boy," Sam said lightly. She reached out and stroked his shoulder first before working her way up his neck and then eventually to his face. Her other hand wound its way through her horse's thick and shaggy winter coat and scratched him gently.

The Phantom leaned in against her touch, stretching out his neck and lowering his head to show his pleasure. Sam sighed contentedly. She loved moments like these with horses. It was even more special with the Phantom because she knew how hard it was for him to trust a human, even one he had known well years ago.

She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, girl and horse. When she finally pulled her hand away and the Phantom stepped back, it seemed like hours had passed and yet everything seemed the same.

"I can't wait until spring and then maybe I could ride you." The Phantom only blinked at her, promising nothing. Sam smiled. "I hope it's not just wishful thinking."

Suddenly she heard a squeal and the Phantom's head swung around in the direction it came from. Sam saw two young colts nipping at one another and fooling around. 'Play fighting'. They were practicing for when they would have to really fight for herds of their own. The Phantom trotted over to remind them to stay in control and Sam smiled as she watched. The colts looked to be nearly full grown and Sam guessed that they would be driven off from the herd shortly after spring thawed out the passage from the valley.

While the Phantom was busy Sam watched the other horses. They seemed to be less wary of her now that their leader had confirmed she wasn't a threat but they kept a safe distance from her. Dark Sunshine stood off to one side looking unsure. Sam knew she was likely feeling conflicted as to whether or not to approach her so she decided to make the first move.

She started to walk slowly but deliberately towards the mare and stopped about a metre or two in front of her, well within a horse's normal comfort zone. "Hey Sunny, pretty girl. Look at you all wild and free here. Having fun in your new home?"

The buckskin snorted and took a tentative step towards Sam. When she didn't do anything, the mare walked forward again until she stood within arm's reach of Sam. One millimeter at a time, Sam inched closer until she could comfortably stroke the mare's neck. Sunny was a bit tense but did not pull away and gradually Sam felt her let her guard down a bit more. She stroked the mare for a few more minutes until the Phantom trotted over and tossed his head as if to say, 'What are you still here for? Visiting hours are over!'

"Okay, okay," Sam said backing up. "I should get going anyway. I just wanted to see how you were." But the Phantom had already turned and started to guide Sunny closer back to the herd. Sam smiled sadly as she watched. As much as she wished he was hers completely, he was a wild stallion and herd leader first.

Thankfully it didn't take her as long to climb up as it did to climb down and since she was able to see her footing better, she didn't have quite so many heart-pounding slips. Ace was still standing quietly where she had left him, his reins still fastened around the outcrop of rock. One of his back legs was slack and his head was low to the ground.

"Having a nap, are you?" Sam teased. Ace snorted and shook his head and Sam laughed. "Alright, we've got to hurry. More time passed then I thought," she said, looking up at the sky.

It was just beginning to get a little dark when Sam and Ace rode into the yard. She waved to the passing cowboys as she walked Ace into the barn and proceeding to strip off his tack and groom him. Once she had put him in his stall she put away all of her tack and brushes and headed inside the house where she could smell dinner cooking.

"Just in time to wash up and set the table, sweetheart," Gram said.

"Sure."

"Oh, hello Sam. How did your ride go?" Brynna said from the counter.

"Ace and I had fun," Sam said truthfully.

"Weren't you cold?" Aunt Sue asked from the base of the stairs.

"Well, yes," Sam admitted as she set the plates around the table. "But it was worth it."

"Oh, I see," her aunt said but Sam could tell she didn't. Aunt Sue wasn't a ranch-woman. She didn't understand the lure of riding the range if it meant being a little uncomfortable.

After dinner Sam went outside to check on the horses and do some of the chores she didn't do after school. She was still there giving Tempest some TLC when she heard someone else enter the barn and turned to see who it was. She was surprised to see her Aunt Sue who didn't look entirely comfortable with her surroundings.

In answer to Sam's questioning look her aunt explained, "Some boy named Jake called looking for you. Brynna answered and she said you should probably take it now."

_Uh-oh._ Sam thought. Frantically she looked at her watch. "Oh no! It's 8:00! I was supposed to call an hour ago!"

She practically leapt out from her filly's stall and dashed past her aunt, forgetting her manners for a second. "Oh." She slowed down and waited for her aunt to catch up and walk to the house with her.

"Is this the Jake fellow I met at the wedding the last time I was here?"

"Yes," Sam said. "And he is going to be so mad at me!"

"Why?" Aunt Sue asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. "He didn't seem like the sort to fret about phone calls."

Under different circumstances Sam would have laughed. No, Jake didn't normally care for phone calls but this time it was important and he would be worried and angry.

"Well, it's a bit complicated," Sam said quickly as she opened the door, peeled off her outdoor wear and leapt to take the phone from Brynna. She knew from Brynna's expression that Jake had sounded annoyed.

"Samantha," a sharp voice said from the other end of the line. He must have heard the phone transfer from one person to another.

"Jacob," Sam said, trying to imitate his serious tone and lighten the mood. It didn't work.

"Don't play games with me, Sam," Jake lectured. "You were supposed to call an hour ago."

"I forgot Jake, honestly. I just went out to the barn after dinner and forgot. You know how I am."

There was a pause and Sam imagined Jake trying to control his irritation. Yes, he did know how she was. "You _promised_," he said, emphasizing the last word to try and make her feel guilty.

"I did not promise!" Sam argued but she knew that even though she hadn't said so much in words she still sort of had.

She heard Jake sigh. "And then you wonder over why I worry."

Suddenly Sam noticed that the three women in the kitchen were all seated at the table drinking tea and listening to the conversation. She suppressed the urge to groan. How was she supposed to talk to Jake like this?

He seemed to notice her lack of response. "Bra—I mean Sam?"

So he was back to calling her Brat. That meant he wasn't really angry anymore. "Yeah? Oh. Look, I'm sorry Jake. I really I am. I didn't mean to worry you. I'm fine." She heard some noise in the background and some laughter as well as a growled, 'shut up' from Jake. It appeared his brothers were teasing him.

"Fine," he said, sounding resigned. "Just next time—"

"I will!" Sam assured him, putting as much sincerity in her voice as she could.

"I've gotta go," he said. "I'll see ya later."

"Yeah," Sam said and paused. Wasn't there something couples usually did when they said goodbye? Oh yeah, they said, 'I love you'. Well, she wasn't sure she and Jake were at that stage of their relationship yet. "Well…bye Jake," she finished a little awkwardly and winced. She could practically see Jake's tomcat smile through the phone and she was sure he could tell was she was stumbling over.

"Bye Brat," he said softly, almost affectionately, and then the phone clicked as he hung up.

Sam hung up the phone and turned away, relieved that he wasn't as angry as she had expected.

"How is Jake, honey?" Brynna asked.

"Oh, he's fine," Sam said casually. "He just got a little worried when I didn't call him. He knew I was going riding but he was going to be in town so he wanted to make sure I got home okay."

"That's nice of him," Gram commented.

"Yeah, well…you know how Jake is when it comes to safety," Sam said laughing a bit.

"How he is with your safety, you mean," Brynna pointed out. "He never thinks of his own."

"Yeah," Sam agreed, looking away. "He still feels guilty over my accident."

Brynna turned to Aunt Sue. "I'm sure you've been told this before but Jake was the one who was with Sam when the accident happened. He's very close to this family and we never held him responsible but some people made a point of saying that it was his fault." Brynna didn't say as much but from her frown Sam could tell she was referring to Linc Slocum.

"Yes," Aunt Sue said. "I remember Wyatt telling me. I met Jake at your wedding and he seemed to be a very nice young man. Very polite."

Sam snorted and all three women turned to look at her, clearly surprised. Sam blushed. "Well he isn't really."

"Samantha! What a horrible thing to say," Gram scolded.

"Sorry," Sam muttered as Brynna continued.

"Sam and Jake have been friends since they were little but they don't seem to have grown out of arguing with each other."

Aunt Sue smiled. "Yes, when I was staying here with Sam last time I overhead them having an argument out on the porch."

Recognizing that this was turning into a 'let's talk about Jake' session Sam decided to bring the conversation to a close and hurriedly said, "I'm going to go shower now, okay?"

"Sure Sam," Brynna agreed and Sam made a quick exit from the room.

An hour or so later Sam was up in her room reading a horse magazine when there was a knock at the door. "Come in," she called.

The door opened to admit Aunt Sue. "Hi, Aunt Sue. I was just reading."

"So I see. Mind if I come in and talk?"

"Sure, no problem," Sam said, closing her magazine and moving over on her bed to make room for her aunt.

"Is that Jake boy treating you well?" Aunt Sue asked abruptly.

"What?" Sam yelped, surprised by the suddenness of the question.

Aunt Sue laughed. "If you think you're being subtle about it, you're wrong. I knew as soon as I saw the two of you together at the wedding that you would be together someday. And then when Brynna and I drove into the yard the other day and I saw you standing together on the porch. It isn't hard to put together."

"Oh," Sam said, embarrassed. "How—how did you know, last time you were here? I didn't even know then."

Aunt Sue sighed. "I'm not sure. I think it has something to do with how you acted in each other's presence. You always seemed completely aware of the each other and sometimes I got the impression that you understand each other without having to say anything."

"And then I remember hearing you having that argument on the porch. He said something about you being exactly like Louise. Wearing your heart on your sleeve or being concerned about animals before yourself, something like that. I remember getting furious when he talked to you like that…so insensitively. You sounded so close to tears and you hit him but he didn't react angrily, he just starting talking gently to you." She paused. "He kind of used the same voice that I've heard your dad and you use around horses to make them calm. Anyway, I realized he hadn't said that to hurt you, it was because you frightened him when you acted like her because he didn't want to lose you like Wyatt lost your mother." Aunt Sue took a deep breath. "There aren't a lot of young men who have that kind of emotional capacity."

It took Sam a moment to digest the entirety of what her aunt was saying. "I know," Sam said finally. "Jake is good to me."

"I know, honey. I can see it," she paused. "Why haven't you told your family yet? Brynna told me they saw you at the bonfire party but you haven't mentioned anything since."

"I'm not sure," Sam admitted. "I guess I just don't know how to bring it up." She hesitated. "Also...I can tell everyone expected it from us. I bet our families have been joking about it for years. But…around here people gossip a lot and I don't want them to make assumptions about our relationship. I mean…we're only teenagers."

Aunt Sue looked puzzled. "What kind of assumptions don't you want them to make?"

Sam blushed and looked away. "I don't know. Like…that we'll get married one day or something. It's not uncommon for people here to get married young. Sometimes right out of high school. Jake is a few years older than me so some people might expect it from us."

"I see," Aunt Sue said, pausing. "And have you thought about marrying Jake?"

Sam yelped. "I'm not old enough for that!"

Aunt Sue laughed. "I'll take that as a no then. Honey, you can't let worrying about what other people say dictate your life. If you worry too much about it, it might hurt your relationship with Jake."

Sam sighed. "I know and I don't usually care about what people say about me. It happened alot when I came back here from San Francisco and when Rachel spread rumors that my accident had caused brain damage and I mostly ignored it. I guess I'll have to talk to him about it if it keeps bothering me."

Her aunt nodded. "And you should be honest with your parents and Grace about your relationship too. You know your father doesn't approve of hiding the truth and sneaking around is not how you were raised."

Sam glanced down at her hands. "Yeah, I'll talk to them tomorrow after school. Maybe I can work something out with Jake to make it easier."

Aunt Sue smiled. "That sounds like a great idea." She rose from the bed. "I'll let you get back to reading your magazine."

"Thanks Aunt Sue."

"No problem, honey. And for the record Sam, I'm glad that you are with someone who treats so you well. A lot of girls settle for guys who don't fully appreciate them and it's rare to have such a solid relationship at your age."

Sam smiled, embarrassed but pleased at the same time. "G'night, Aunt Sue."

"Sweet dreams."


	10. Chapter 9

**Author's Note #1:**

**I realize it has been a very long time since my last update. I became seriously busy with other things and just finished my first year of university. This hasn't been much of a priority. However, since I've been home this summer I re-read the Phantom Stallion series and found this story on my computer again. I'm definately interested in picking it up again but obviously some ideas for it have changed. I've edited the previous chapters that were already posted and changed a couple things and I have the next couple chapters written, but will be updating slowly so that I can keep ahead. I strongly suggest that you go back and re-read the first 8 chapters if you haven't already. I do have a nearly complete outline of where I want this story to go. It's longer & bigger than I had originally planned when I first decided to continue the story instead of leaving it as a one-shot, but hopefully you guys still enjoy it. Let me know what you think!**

Chapter 9:

The next morning on the bus Sam and Jen tried desperately to brainstorm ideas on how Sam should tell her family—in the least awkward way possible—that she and Jake were dating. Sam sighed as they pulled into the school parking lot. "I may as well just straight out say, 'Dad...I know you weren't planning on me dating until I was thirty...but Jake has ruined your plans. Please go after him instead of me!'" They hadn't managed to come with anything that wasn't really awkward or completely cheesy.

"You know, Sam," Jen said. "I think you've just made it into a big thing by waiting this long. If you had just said something to Brynna that night or to your Gram when they were trying to open the conversation up it would have been over with and they probably would have told your dad for you. Now you're the one who's going to have to bring it up...which is alot harder than just going along with it."

"I know," Sam sighed. She had thought the same thing last night as she lay awake wondering what to do. "I don't even know why it's so hard. I know that they already know. What's the big deal?"

Jen shrugged. "Well, I know Brynna is your stepmom and your Gram is always there for you...but you've never had a mom to go to and talk about this stuff with, you know? Brynna has only been around for a year and your Gram is maybe a bit...dated—no offense—when it comes to this kind of thing. Who gave you the 'becoming a woman' chat and all that stuff?"

"My aunt," Sam said.

"Oh yeah. Almost forgot you were out there during that _lovely_ time in a young girl's life," Jen said sarcastically. "But see...your Aunt Sue hasn't really been around to see how your relationship with Jake has progressed since you've come back here. So, I think that you're just uncomfortable because you've never had someone to go to with this stuff before."

"Probably," Sam admitted. "Wow, you're good at this psychology stuff."

"I know," Jen said smugly. "Anyway...maybe ask Jake if he's thought of anything. Otherwise...yeah. You'll just have to blurt it out."

Unfortunately Sam didn't get to talk to Jake at all that day until just before she boarded the bus. She only glimpsed him a few times in the hall but usually he was just turning around a corner or she was pushing it for time to get to her next class. He wasn't even at lunch and Sam learned from Darrel that Jake had a meeting with the school councillor to make sure his college applications were all ready to be sent in.

She was just leaving her locker at the end of the day when Mrs. Ely came up to her. "Hi Sam. Have you talked to Jake yet today?"

"No, I haven't. He had a meeting during lunch today. Why? Is something wrong?"

"Oh no, not at all," Mrs. Ely said with a secretive smile. "I was just curious. Anyway, run along now or you'll miss your bus."

Sam didn't need to be told twice and hurried outside to the parking lot. _That was weird_, she thought but really didn't have time to dwell on it. The roar of the bus engine caused her to quicken her step but not even a metre from the bus someone grabbed her arm.

"Jake," Sam said in surprise. "I really can't talk. The bus driver hates when people hold him up."

"I know. It's just...I have a plan. I'm coming over. Don't say anything until I get there," Jake said.

"What?" Sam said. "You aren't making any sense."

"Just get on the bus Sam. I'll be over after your chores."

When Sam sat down beside Jen and recounted her odd conversation with Mrs. Ely and Jake's strange mention of a 'plan' Jen sighed. "It's obvious, isn't it?"

"Um...no?"

"Jake seems to have enlisted his mother's help in coming up with a way to help you break it to your family. He probably asked her for advice or something and she wanted to know if he'd told you yet. I'm guessing he plans to do it after school today...hence his 'don't say anything until I get there.'"

"Oh." Sam wasn't sure what she thought of that. She had no idea what Jake was planning to do.

When Sam got home she did her chores right away and then tried to appear busy with homework although her mind was rather occupied with watching the clock and trying to guess what Jake was up to. It wasn't until about 4:30 when her dad had just come off the range with the other cowboys from breaking up ice in the water troughs, that Sam heard a faint and distinctive whinny. _Witch_. A quick glance around the kitchen showed that no one else had heard it and so Sam took the opportunity to casually mention visiting Ace, and slipped out of the house and into the barn where Jake was sure to come.

A few minutes later Jake entered with Witch and began to untack her. "So what's this plan of yours?" Sam asked him.

"You'll see," was his only reply. Sam couldn't get anything else out of him in the next few minutes but noticed the faintly tense line of Jake's jaw which betrayed a slight nervousness. She was about to ask him again when she heard her dad outside the barn talking to Dallas. Jake put the last of his things away and gave Sam one last look before turning and heading outside, leaving Sam to trail after him in confusion.

"Jake," her dad said with mild surprise. "I wasn't expecting to see you today."

Jake nodded, "I know, sir."

Sam's eyebrows shot up. Rarely did Jake ever call her dad _sir_ unless he felt he was in trouble or deferring to his authority. She noticed both Dallas and her dad looked a little surprised too but then Dallas said, "Well, I'll be getting back to work," and with a nod to the men and a wink at Sam he turned and headed into the barn.

"What can I do for you, Jake?" Wyatt asked. It was clear from the way Jake stood facing the other man directly that he wasn't just stopping for a casual hello.

Taking a deep breath that reminded Sam of the one he had taken right before he took her hand in his the first time, Jake said, "I was wondering if I might speak to you privately."

_Oh_, Sam though. _Oh_.

Her dad appeared surprised for a moment but quickly recovered and immediately sent Sam inside the house so they could speak alone. Whatever she had expected Jake to do it was not this. It was a decidedly old fashioned courtesy to ask a father before 'courting' or asking his daughter out on a date and Sam wondered if Jake realized that tradition was all but non-existent in the present age. Sam remembered Mrs. Ely's sly look earlier that day and guessed that it had been his mother's idea. Jake always tried to get through life saying as few words as possible. She had to admit, although the gesture was old fashioned, it showed great respect for her dad and responsibility on Jake's part. It was probably exactly the kind of thing her dad would appreciate.

With a sigh Sam tried to focus back on her homework but couldn't resist peeking outside every so often to try to glimpse how the conversation was going. Obviously she wasn't being very subtle about it because Aunt Sue, also seated at the kitchen table gave her a pointed look and raised her eyebrows. Sam smiled embarrassedly and shrugged.

"Is that Jake outside?" Brynna asked, coming into the room. "I didn't realize he was working here today. Or did you ask him over, Sam?"

"Um. No...he just showed up."

"It looks like he's asking Wyatt something," Aunt Sue said, obviously trying to make the comment sound innocent, but failing.

"Oh," Brynna said and Sam thought she saw the two women exchange sly glances out of the corner of her eye. Sam knew she was blushing, and the knowledge that she was just made it worse. Slowly she sank down in her chair, wishing she could disappear.

"Wyatt's coming inside," Brynna said.

Sam looked up in surprise. Sure enough her dad was taking purposeful strides towards the house. Jake had disappeared into the barn, either to make himself busy with something or to retack Witch, Sam didn't know.

"Everything okay, Wyatt?" Brynna asked when he made it to the front door.

"Yep. Just wanted to borrow Samantha for a minute."

Sam started at the use of her full name but obediently closed up her books and went over to the door to pull on her boots and step outside with her dad.

"Hey," she said, trying to sound casual. ""What's up?"

Her dad expelled a deep breath of air and shifted his weight to lean against the porch railing. It was obvious from his expression and the way he stood that he was uncomfortable. "Jake came to ask me about you."

When Sam didn't say anything he continued, "He wants my permission to take you out sometime. On a date." He paused and looked at her closely, waiting for a reaction.

"Oh," Sam said, unsure as to what she was supposed to say.

Her dad rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I can't say I'm awfully surprised...I just kinda wish he could have waited a few more years."

Sam couldn't help but smile. "I'm fifteen, Dad. Lots of girls my age have already had boyfriends."

"Well this is a little different," Wyatt insisted.

Sam didn't bother asking why. She was pretty sure it was only different because she was _his_ daughter.

"Anyway, I said I thought that would be alright as long as certain rules are obeyed and that's what you wanted."

Sam blushed. She wasn't used to these kinds of talks with her dad. "Yeah. I'd like that."

Her dad sighed and nodded. "Alright. Better go bring him over here then."

Sam laughed and stepped forward to hug him. "Thanks, Dad," she whispered. She quickly leapt off the porch and headed over to the barn to look for Jake. She found him running a damp cloth over some of the bridles in the tack room, obviously discontent to wait idly.

"Hey," she said as she approached him.

Jake turned and looked at her. "Hey."

"My dad wants to see you again."

He offered her a small smile. "Oh yeah?"

"Thanks, Jake. For doing that. I can tell he respected you for it. And I really appreciate it too."

Jake sighed deeply as he stood and took her hand. "Well I'm glad you do because it was the scariest thing I've ever had to do."

Sam hid a smile. Jake did all kinds of scary things with horses without so much as blinking but she knew it was extremely hard for him to talk about much besides ranch stuff.

"It was my mom's idea," he confessed as they left the barn. "She said your dad would like it. Said he's a pretty traditional man, especially when it comes to his only daughter."

Sam laughed. "She was right. He said he wishes you could have waited a few more years though."

Jake looked away. "I kind of wish that too." Catching Sam's confused look from the corner of his eye he just shook his head. "Never mind."

Normally Sam would have persisted but by then they had reached the porch where her dad waited. Wyatt's eyes seemed reluctantly drawn to where their hands were joined and Jake dropped her hand as if sensing the other man's discomfort.

Sam watched her dad with faint amusement. She thought he had been uncomfortable talking to her but it was nothing compared to how awkward he and Jake were. She guessed it had something to do with them both being the quiet kind of cowboys who rarely talked about anything other than horses and work. "Sam says she'd like to go out with you," her dad began. "So I guess I'm okay with that. I know I don't have to tell you to treat her right, but I'm going to anyway."

Jake nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Remember the rules I told you about. If your parents want to add anything to that they know where to find me." Glancing quickly at Sam, he added, "And don't forget about that other thing we talked about."

Jake nodded again. It appeared their first talk had used up his quota of words for the day.

"Alright then," Wyatt said uncomfortably. "Are you going to hang around for supper tonight?"

"Thanks, but I've got to head back and do a few things," Jake said.

Wyatt nodded. "Sam, you can walk with him just past the bridge but you need to finish your homework before dinner."

"Thanks," Sam said to her dad as she and Jake headed back towards the barn again.

There was no point in saddling up Ace for that short of a distance so Sam just grabbed his bridle and waited as Jake tacked up his mare before mounting up bareback.

"What did my dad mean when he said 'don't forget about that other thing?'" Sam asked as they walked their horses side by side.

"That's between me'n him," Jake told her.

"What?" Sam laughed. "Why? It had to do with me, didn't it?"

Jake nodded. "But he asked me not to tell you about it. So I'm not going to."

"Hmph."

Jake turned to her with an amused smile. "Don't look at me like that. When the time is right, I will tell you."

Seeing she wasn't going to get anything more out of him, Sam sighed. "Fine. So where are you going to take me out to?" she asked teasingly.

Jake laughed. "I'll get back to you on that. I'm still thinking about it."

"Need to ask your mom for more advice?" Sam joked.

"Very funny," Jake said as they made it to the other side of the bridge.

They both halted their horses for a minute. "So...did my dad outline some of those 'rules' he mentioned to you?"

Jake laughed. "Oh yeah. I think you can expect a talk about that once you get inside."

"Great."

"I'll see you at school tomorrow, Brat. Then we'll talk about that date."

Dinner was a rather quiet affair that night once the rest of the family had been informed that Jake had asked Wyatt for permission to date Sam. Brynna had been excited and Gram praised Jake for sticking to such good old-fashioned courtesies. Aunt Sue caught Sam's eye and her expression seemed to ask, "That wasn't so bad, was it?"

After dinner Sam's dad slipped away into the living room leaving the women in the kitchen. Sam immediately picked up on the atmosphere change and guessed that she was about to be subjected to 'girl talk'.

Gram cleared away the dishes from the table and started to wash them in the sink while Brynna started to boil the kettle for a pot of tea. Aunt Sue remained seated at the table with Sam and they were soon joined again by Brynna who distributed teacups and laid out milk and sugar.

"Sam," Brynna began. "I know this has been a bit of an overwhelming day for you but I thought it would be best to lay out the rules your father mentioned now rather than later."

Sam sighed. "Jake warned me this was coming."

Brynna smiled. "I'm sure your dad went over them with Jake earlier and you can probably guess most of the rules already...but I wanted to tell you to avoid any misunderstandings."

"The other important thing before we start, Sam, is that this is a safe and understanding environment. If you ever need to talk to anyone or you have any questions, you can always talk to me or your Gram or Aunt Sue. We all love you and want to make sure you know that."

Sam felt heat rising in her cheeks. She felt like this 'chat' was going to include some retouching on the 'birds and the bees discussion'. "Okay," she said weakly.

Brynna smiled at her discomfort. "The rules are pretty obvious: your time with Jake can't start to get in the way of your chores here on the ranch or school work. There will be no staying out late on school nights and we will be setting a curfew for dates after your dad and I have had a chance to discuss it. We'd like to always know where you guys will be when you go out and an approximate return time. Does that sound fair?"

"Yes," Sam said. "But you know I wouldn't slack off on my chores or school—"

Gram smiled from over by the sink. "We know, Sam. We're just outlining everything now so there isn't any confusion later."

Aunt Sue leaned forward. "Now for the next order of business. I know that you and I already had the whole 'how babies are made' chat a few years ago and kids your age seem to know quite a bit more about that sort of thing than they used to so I don't think we need to cover that again. However, I think—and Brynna and your Gram agree—that it's important for you to know that although it is ultimately your choice as to when you decide to become sexually active, you need to have thought it through beforehand and be aware of the possible consequences. You probably know that there are several different measures that can be taken to protect yourself from these consequences and should you ever want to talk about those options you can ask any one of us."

"Um...I'm only fifteen," Sam pointed out.

Aunt Sue laughed. "We know, sweetheart. We don't expect that those kinds of things are on your mind just yet but it's always better to be aware and prepared, okay? And although Jake seems like a very nice and respectful young man, he is a couple years older than you."

"Okay," Sam said very quietly. She hadn't even considered what Jake was expecting out of their relationship but still, she _really_ didn't want to be having this conversation.

"On a less heavy note," Brynna said. "We are all really happy for you. We have all been wondering when this would happen. Jake has been a really good friend to you and the whole family for a long time and there isn't anyone who could make your father more at ease with this situation."

Sam smiled weakly as Aunt Sue and Gram chuckled. Gram came over and patted Sam's head. "Your father will get used to the idea. And the three of us will make sure he's fair. Don't worry about him."

**Author's Note #2:**

**This chapter had both the main characters out of their comfort zone and was difficult to write. I'm aware that Jake doesn't like to talk & initiating a conversation with Wyatt about his feelings for Sam is out of character. However, I like to think that his respect for Wyatt and the fact that he likes Sam would help him to overcome that if he was persuaded to do so (by his mother). It also fits in with the old-fashioned Western kind of courtesy that was present in Terri Farely's books. As for Sam, she was completely horrified at the prospect of discussing 'types' with Brynna & her Gram in one of the books so I definately think she would struggle to come out and talk about her relationship with Jake at first. She's the kind of girl who either charges ahead with absolutely no thought or she sits on things and worries. **

**As for the 'talk' that takes place at the end of the chapter, it is there simply because I think every family goes through that when their child is about Sam's age or has their first relationship. I know it can be awkward and we learn pretty much everything we need to in sex-ed at school but in my experience, parents generally mention at least something. I don't intend to make this story sexually explicit in any way, so for those who were concerned about the reason for the talk, that isn't it. I thought it was simply a realistic thing to take place. **

**With those things clarified, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the story. Constructive criticism & praise it always welcome. It's always hard returning to old material after a long break but I think I get more settled in the next couple chapters I have written so far...so please don't get discouraged after this one if you didn't enjoy it as much as the others. **

**P.S Thanks to everyone who reviewed & sent me messages despite the lack of updates for the last while. I haven't been replying to them but now that I'm working on the story again, I will make an effort to reply to everyone who reviews. **


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

When Sam told Jen about the events from the night before her friend immediately burst into a loud fit of laughter, causing several other people on the bus turn and look at them.

"Oh my gosh. That's so embarrassing!" Jen said, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.

"It was definitely one of my most embarrassing moments," Sam admitted. "But at least it's over with now."

"True," Jen agreed. "And I think that Jake's mom was right about having Jake talk to your dad. It's definitely the sort of thing he'd appreciate plus it meant you didn't really have to do anything. I'm just really surprised that Jake found the courage to do it."

Sam laughed. "Me too."

* * *

Sam got seats with Jen and Ally that day for lunch and they were soon joined by Jake, Darrel and a few other boys.

"Hello ladies," Darrel said as obnoxiously as ever. "I bet seeing me is the highlight of your day!"

Sam rolled her eyes and Ally merely smiled tolerably at her boyfriend but Jen muttered, "Not likely."

Darrel laughed at the blonde. "Now now," he tutted. "I know I was your first choice in boyfriends, Kenworthy, but Miss Ally here has swept me off my feet. You'll just have to settle for that British guy."

Sam suppressed a smile as her friend turned an angry red and spat, "I'll have you know 'that British guy' is ten times the guy you are!"

"Ouch," Darrel said, clutching at his chest jokingly.

Jake rolled his eyes at his friend's antics and turned to Sam. "So I've decided what we're going to do this weekend."

"If I agree," Sam pointed out teasingly.

Jake smirked. "You will."

"What then?"

"You remember me telling you that my dad was breeding Witch's half sister to some fancy stallion a friend of his put up to stud?" Jake asked.

"No! You didn't tell me anything about it."

Jake grinned. "Musta slipped my mind." Obviously Sam's expression looked doubtful because he hastily went on, "Anyway, she's due any day now and I was thinking if she holds out till Friday maybe we could camp out in the barn and watch the foaling."

"Oh my gosh that would be awesome!" Sam exclaimed excitedly.

Jake gave an embarrassed chuckle. "I know you were there when that filly of yours was born but seems like something you'd never get tired of seeing."

"Definitely not," Sam agreed and tried to picture the mare Jake meant in her head.

It was a mare she didn't see all that often but she knew it was one of Jake's dad's favourite mounts. She was mostly black like Witch, but her coat has a brownish tinge to it and her nose was a chocolatey colour. Similar in conformation to both Witch and Chip but a little lighter (she thought she remembered Jake once telling her she had a bit of Thoroughbred in her), Sam immediately started asking questions about the stallion to try to picture what the foal would look like.

"Is he a Quarter horse too, Jake? What colour?"

"Easy, Brat," Jake teased. "Yeah, he's a Quarter horse and he's bay. I'll show you some pictures tomorrow."

Sam nodded and said happily, "This is so much better than a typical date." She caught Jake's questioning look and added, "You know, like movies and stuff."

Jake cocked his head to the side, considering. "We can see a movie sometime. I just thought this was more your thing...and movies aren't good for first dates. You can't talk or anything."

Sam jumped when suddenly Jen's laughter rang loud in her ears. "Did you hear that, Sam?" the blonde girl asked, laughter dancing in her eyes. "Jake is complaining about not being able to talk! Imagine that."

Jake scowled at Jen but Sam couldn't help but giggle along with her friend. It _was_ kind of funny.

* * *

Later that evening Sam brought up Jake's date idea with her family. Brynna immediately seemed to think it was a great idea but her dad was obviously a little more reluctant. "I don't know..." he said slowly.

"Oh Wyatt," Brynna said with exasperation. "I think it's great. It'll be fun, educational even. Sam's already supervised a birth before and she did just fine."

"So you'll be sleeping in the barn?" Wyatt asked, ignoring Brynna.

"Uh, yeah. That's the plan." Inwardly Sam rolled her eyes. Mares most gave birth in the night or early hours of the morning because in the wild, that's when they were safest from predators. Her dad knew this, of course so what was the problem?

"I'll bring the sleeping bag that's designed for winter camping and dress really warmly. It shouldn't be too cold in the barn with the animals inside."

Her dad just nodded noncommittally and suddenly Brynna said, "Wyatt." Sam watched in amazement as Brynna and her dad engaged in a staring contest that seemed to serve as a silent conversation. She wondered if she'd develop telepathy skills when she got married too.

"Show some trust," Brynna said softly.

Sam's dad expelled a deep breath of air. "Alright," he said. "But if you get out there and change your mind, you call me no matter what the time and I'll come pick you up."

"Thanks, Dad," Sam said with a grin, knowing she wouldn't have to.

* * *

Even with only a couple days of school separating her from Friday night, Sam felt like time dragged on forever. When Sam finally got home from school Friday afternoon she rushed through her chores and then bolted up the stairs to her room, hastily stuffing a warm hoodie and a pair of worn, soft jeans into a bag. A pair of thick socks, a warm cap and matching mittens followed. As an afterthought, Sam threw her hairbrush and toothbrush in as well. All this was brought downstairs and put beside the sleeping bag and fold-out cot piled by the door.

Brynna watched her step daughter list off the things she had and smiled. "I think you're covered, Sam. The Ely's will have everything else."

Sam nodded. "Want me to hold him for a bit?" she asked, looking at Cody nestled in Brynna's arms.

Brynna smiled. "If you wouldn't mind, that would be great. He's wide awake right now and craving attention. I confess I wouldn't mind checking my work emails."

Sam gently extracted her little brother from his mother's arms and tucked him against her. "Hey there," she cooed, bringing him over to an armchair in the living room.

Aunt Sue was reading a book on the couch and smiled. "You're such a good big sister."

Sam gave an embarrassed shrug. "I feel like I understand baby horses better than baby humans."

Aunt Sue laughed. "Like everything, it just takes practise."

Sam looked down at the tiny thing in her arms. "I guess so."

"So Jake's coming by to pick you up after dinner?" her aunt asked.

"Yeah, Sam said. "We're eating a little early here because his mom wants me to have dessert with the family before we head out to the barn. Jake says the mare is showing all the signs that she's going to foal tonight so my fingers are crossed. I want to be home to spend most of the afternoon with you tomorrow, before you go back to the city."

Aunt Sue smiled. "I'd like that too. I think Grace has a special goodbye dinner planned for tomorrow night so I think you'd be sorry to miss out."

Before Sam could reply Brynna called them to dinner from the kitchen. "I'll take Cody," she said to Sam and proceeded to tuck the baby into his carrier where he could watch the dinner proceedings.

Sam felt her impatience return as dinner began but knew that wolfing down her food wouldn't make the time pass any faster. She forced herself to participate in the dinner conversation and eat her food politely but let out a sigh of relief when six o'clock came around and she heard Jake's truck coming across the bridge. She quickly swallowed the last forkful of spaghetti on her plate and went to rinse her dishes in the sink.

Gram rose too and handed her a small tin. "I know Maxine is serving you dessert and will likely have some snacks to take to the barn too, but I did some baking today and these are one of Jake's favourites."

Sam peeked inside the tin and, seeing cookies, inhaled deeply. "Mmm. Thanks, Gram!" she said, and pecked the older woman on the cheek.

Her dad was greeting Jake at the door and Sam quickly pulled on her boots, coat and hat before picking up her sleeping bag and waving good bye to everyone. Jake had the cot in one arm and her bag in the other and together they headed towards his truck. Sam was just passing through the door when her dad put a hand on her shoulder and said quietly, "Remember, Sam. You just have to call and I'll be there."

Sam smiled. "I know, dad. Thanks." She held back a giggle as all three women rolled their eyes behind his back.

Even though he must have heard, Jake didn't say anything when they were both outside. "My dad is feeling pretty protective lately," Sam laughed as they tossed her stuff into the truck and she squeezed into the passenger side.

Jake quickly joined her in the driver's seat and turned the keys in the ignition. "You're his little girl. I'd be surprised if he wasn't acting that way."

"I guess so. But, it's you. After himself, he probably trusts you with me the most." When Jake just stared at the road without comment Sam added, "Don't think I didn't notice those looks you guys always exchanged whenever you thought I was up to something."

Jake flashed her a grin. "Yeah, but that was before I became the boyfriend. That changes things a bit. Dads are always suspicious of their daughter's boyfriends. My dad told me it stays that way 'till you marry them."

"How would he know?" Sam asked. "He's only got sons."

"Yeah, but that was the way it was for him when he was dating my mom. Her dad didn't really trust him 'till he proposed. Course, could've also had to do with the fact that he's Shoshone. Apparently he wasn't sure what to make of it when she introduced them the first time."

Sam didn't really know what to say about that. After a pause she said, "Well at least that's one thing you don't have to worry about with my dad."

"Yeah," Jake agreed. After a minute of silence he spoke up again. "So I've already set up most of the stuff in the barn. We'll just set up your cot and then head inside. You can change in the house before we head out for the night."

"Sure," Sam said as they pulled into Three Ponies Ranch.

After they had set Sam's stuff up in the barn Jake motioned for Sam to come over. "This is her," he said softly, indicating a stall not far from where they had set up.

Sam peered over the doorway and saw the dark mare she remembered seeing Luke Ely riding sometimes. "How come I never noticed a pregnant mare around here?" Sam asked.

Jake shrugged. "You aren't around here as much as I'm at your place. Plus, up until last week we've kept her in a private pasture with a walk-in shelter. The one that's off to the side of the barn?"

Sam nodded slowly. Whenever she was at Three Ponies Ranch she was in the house, the barn or watching Jake work a horse in the corral. She had probably glimpsed the mare and dismissed her completely.

"Ready to go in?" Jake asked finally.

"Yep."

Jake gave her a small smile. "That's what you think."

When Sam and Jake entered the house a minute later Sam immediately realized what he had meant. They were instantly swarmed by Jake's brothers who all instantly began to tease them and ask her how she had been tricked into dating Jake.

"Did you have another riding accident, Sam? Scrambled your brains up a bit?" Quinn teased.

"That's _not_ funny!" Mrs. Ely scolded as she squeezed her way through the crowded entranceway. She looked even more tiny and blonde than usual surrounded by her tall, black-haired sons. "Now back off and give Sam some room to breathe. I invited her over for dessert, not to be hounded by you."

Sam smiled at the woman. It was sometimes hard to treat her as a close family friend and Jake's mom since she was also Sam's history teacher at school, but Mrs. Ely was so nice that the awkwardness always soon faded.

It was over an hour later when Jake finally convinced his mother that they had to head out to the barn. Sam could tell Jake was a little uncomfortable with everyone making a big deal about their relationship and he seemed worried that she would be overwhelmed by all the teasing from his brothers. She couldn't understand why, as she had been around his family long enough that she was used to how loud and crazy they acted. Coming from a small and much quieter home, Sam loved the busy and noisy atmosphere of the Ely household.

"Thanks so much for the cake, Mrs. Ely," Sam said as she waited by the door. "It was delicious."

Mrs. Ely smiled but waved off the compliment. "It's got nothing on your Gram's baking," she said modestly.

Sam had already brushed her teeth and changed into her warmer clothing and was waiting for Jake to do the same. Jake's coy-dog, Singer was going to spend the night out in the barn with them and was currently sitting at Sam's feet begging for attention.

"Take this out with you," Mrs. Ely said, handing Sam a large basket. "There's a couple thermoses of hot chocolate in there and some brownies in case you get hungry. Oh—and I filled up a couple hot water bottles too. I thought you could stuff them in your sleeping bags to heat them up before you climb in for the night."

"Oh, wow. Thanks," Sam said as Jake joined them by the door.

"If you need anything, just come up to the house. Don't worry about waking anyone up," Mrs. Ely told them.

"If you get cold during the night and need a real man to warm you up, don't hesitate to come to me," Nate said with a grin to Sam. "My room is the second door on the ri—"

Sam missed the rest of his words as Mrs. Ely smacked him on the shoulder and Jake quickly pulled her out the door. Singer trotted ahead of them to the barn and within minutes they had stuffed the hot water bottles into their sleeping bags and set up the snacks on a little table out of Singer's reach.

"I don't think the action will start until really early in the morning," Jake said from where he stood at the mare's stall.

"Probably not," Sam agreed. "Let's just hang out a bit and maybe catch a few hours sleep. We'll wake up when she starts moving around." She opened up the tin her Gram had given her and took a bite out of a cookie. "These are so good. Chocolate-chip peanut butter cookies. Your favourite," she said to Jake, holding out the tin.

Jake took a few steps towards her but instead of taking a cookie from the tin he dipped his head down to kiss Sam. "Mmm. Sure taste good to me," he said with a grin.

Sam blushed, caught off guard by Jake's sudden playfulness, and tried to cover up how flustered she was by turning towards the thermoses of hot chocolate. "We'd better drink these before they cool off," she said, handing one to Jake.

Jake accepted the thermos and nodded but Sam knew from the amused flicker in his eyes that he was aware of how he had affected her.

Some time later Sam yawned and rolled her shoulders to ease the stiffness that had come over her body. Somehow she and Jake had ended up sitting at either end of one of the cots and talking for the last hour or so. It surprised Sam how easily conversation seemed to come to them. She had never sat and just _talked_ with Jake. She was unaware that he was even capable of carrying long conversations. And yet here they were reminiscing over the day she first came home from San Francisco.

"You looked like such a punk when you got out of that truck," Jake said. "Hardly looked a thing like the girl that left with that haircut and those black clothes."

Sam grimaced at the memory. "Yeah, cutting off my hair was a mistake," she agreed, tugging at a few strands of her auburn locks. "It's better now but I want to grow it out long. Like my mom's was."

Jake tilted his head to the side as he looked at her, as though imagining what it would look like and nodded. Sam remembered him telling her right after Brynna cut her hair for school that guys liked girls with long hair. She wondered if that was his preference.

"Your hair is growing out again," she said.

"Yeah."

"Will you cut it again?"

"I don't know," Jake said. "All the first impression stuff with the scholarship people is over so it doesn't really matter."

"I like it when it's long enough to tie back," Sam confessed.

Jake smiled and got up to look in on the mare. "She's pretty quiet right now. We should try and get a couple hours of sleep now for when she goes into labour."

* * *

Several hours later Sam woke to someone gently nudging her awake. "Sam," Jake said softly. "The mare's moving around. I think she's ready."

Feeling instantly awake Sam bolted upright, almost banging her head against Jake's. "Easy there, Brat," he said.

It was pitch black in the barn and Sam started slightly as she felt something soft by her feet as she swung them off the cot. Singer's eyes glinted eerily in the dark as he looked up at her from his spot on the ground. "You scared me," Sam scolded, giving the coy dog a pat.

She stood and looked around uneasily, her eyes not yet adjusted to the dark. "Jake?" she whispered, sensing him not far from her but unable to see him.

"Right here," he said softly, touching her arm lightly. "I don't want to startle her, so I'm just going to turn on the far light," he said.

Sam nodded and felt Jake move away from her towards the light switches. A moment later a light went on down at the other end of the barn. Sam and Jake both headed towards the birthing stall and cautiously peered inside. There was just enough light that they could see the mare in the shadows of the box stall. She was shifting around her stall, sweat gleamed on her dark coat and Sam could see the dramatic rise and fall of the mare's sides as she breathed hard.

"She looks really close," Sam whispered to Jake, remembering how Sunny had looked while she was in labour with Tempest.

Sam sensed rather than saw Jake's nod of agreement and they both watched in anticipation as the mare gradually became more agitated. Suddenly Sam saw the mare's belly rippled with contractions and she grabbed Jake's hand, finding it instinctively in the dim light, and squeezing it tightly.

Several tense minutes passed. Sam didn't dare move or make a sound and silently cheered the tired mare on. Finally, with a grunt and one last push, the new foal was brought into the world.

The low lighting made it impossible to determine its exact colour, though it was definitely dark. Mare and foal remained still for a long moment, trying to understand their new situation.

Tentatively the foal stretched its neck and raised its head towards its mother. Without hesitation the mare returned the gesture and began to lick its damp coat.

Sam didn't realize she had let out a deep sigh until she sensed Jake watching her. "It gets me—right here," Sam told him, holding her hand against her heart. She turned back to watch the mare and foal. "Thank you for sharing this with me."

From the corner of her eye, Sam saw as Jake's face broke into a kind of embarrassed smile. "Welcome."

They watched the mare and foal acquaint themselves for another few minutes before Jake turned back to Sam. "I want to towel off the foal, just so it doesn't get chilled. Want to get some warm water for the mare?"

Sam nodded and moved to fill up a bucket of water. Sunny had been very thirsty after giving birth to Tempest and this mare proved no different.

Sam stroked the mare's neck as she drank and watched as Jake carefully ran the towel over the foal's body. His hands were gentle and skilled as they worked over the newest addition to Three Ponies Ranch.

When the mare had her fill of water both Sam and Jake left the stall and continued to watch the pair interact. The foal's instincts seemed to be kicking in and they watched as it made several attempts to stand and walk to its mother. On its third try, the foal succeeded and staggered over to nurse.

_I wish I had my camera_, Sam thought as she and Jake moved back to their cots to give the horses some space.

"So that's what...three births you've helped with so far, Brat? Two animal and one human."

"Yeah," Sam said, climbing back into her sleeping bag and watching Jake turn off the light. She heard Jake's soft steps as he walked over to his own cot. "And for the record, I much prefer animal births. I mean, it was amazing helping Brynna with Cody but it's made me question whether I was to put myself though that."

"Really?" Jake said curiously.

Sam nodded, forgetting Jake couldn't see her in the dark. "It kind of really freaked me out," she admitted.

Jake didn't say anything for a long minute and Sam wondered if she should change the subject. "I always thought you'd be a good mom," he said, so softly Sam barely heard him. She rolled over onto her side, squinting through the darkness as if that could help her see his expression. After another pause, he gave an embarrassed kind of laugh. "You know, since you care about pretty much every living thing you come across."

Sam felt warm at his compliment. "Well, maybe I'll be braver by then. I've always assumed I'd have kids."

Sam heard Jake roll over to look at her through the dark too. "Good."

_Good?_ Sam's heart skipped a beat as she considered the implications of his words. "Not six though!" she blurted out, thinking of Jake's family, and then immediately covered her mouth with her hand.

"Not six, eh?" Jake repeated. He sounded amused rather than offended but Sam was still embarrassed. "I don't think I could handle as many kids as my parents did," Jake confessed.

Sam couldn't help but smile. She couldn't picture quiet Jake surrounded by tons of noisy kids. "So how many do you want?" Sam asked curiously.

"Two," he answered without hesitation.

"Two is a good number," Sam agreed.

Silence hung suspended between them and suddenly Sam felt awkward. This conversation felt dangerously close to discussing potential children with Jake. Even worse, she found herself trying to picture it. She must be crazy!

"I need sleep," Sam groaned.

Jake gave a low chuckle. "Prob'ly a good idea."

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, here is another update! This was a bit awkward to write because so many things had to happen before they actually got to go on their date. I felt like I jumped around place to place a bit but...what can you do? Hopefully you enjoyed it. After another few chapters things are going to pick up in pace so hang in there! Please review, I love constructive feedback of all kinds so let me know what you think. **

**Also, someone pointed out to me that in my last chapter I said Sam was 15, when really she is 14 in RAH. I actually knew this & forgot to change it before I uploaded. Oops! I will probably go back & edit that in awhile but for now, she is really 14!**


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11:

Sam sighed deeply as she stood under the steady stream of hot water.

She was exhausted but had woken early and been unable to fall back asleep. She had lain on her cot, tossing and turning as she struggled to get comfortable and sleep again, and finally let out a frustrated sigh. This was immediately followed by a husky chuckle from several metres away. She had jumped, startled, and rolled over to face Jake as he fixed her with his sleepy but amused dark eyes.

"A little restless, Brat?"

Sam felt the corners of her mouth curve up in a smile. "Kind of," she had admitted. "I'm tired but I can't seem to fall back asleep."

Jake had groaned and then sat up. "Might as well go inside and get changed now. We can go for a ride before everyone gets up and has breakfast."

They had checked on the mare and foal and, assured that they were fine, walked into the house with Singer following close behind. Making as little noise as possible Jake had indicated he would use the upstairs shower and Sam could use the one in the bathroom on the main floor.

Sam had wasted little time in slipping out of her clothes and into the shower. The hot water washed away all her stiffness from the night before and she breathed out another happy sigh. She hadn't brought any of her own soaps or anything so she examined the various bottles on the shower shelf closely. There were several different kinds of shampoos, evidently belonging to various Ely brothers and Sam giggled softly. She hadn't expected them to be fussy about what they used in their hair.

She opened up a few bottles, sniffing at each one until she recognized Jake's smell. Sam lathered up her hair and then rinsed, breathing in deeply. _Mmm_, she thought. When she felt sufficiently clean and less groggy she turned off the water and stepped from the shower, wrapping herself in the large towel Jake had grabbed from a closet for her. Then she froze.

With something akin to horror, Sam realized she hadn't brought her fresh clothes with her to change into. They were still in her backpack in Jake's room. She considered her options. On the one hand, she really didn't want to confront any of the male Elys on her way down the hall practically naked, but on the other, she really didn't want to put back on her grubby clothes from last night.

Considering that everyone except Jake and her were supposed to still be asleep, Sam figured her chances of getting down the hall unseen were pretty high. That in mind, she gathered her dirty clothes in a tight ball and opened the door to the bathroom, peering down the hallway. Seeing no one, she clutched her towel tightly against her and tiptoed as quickly as possible past the other bedroom doors. She was about to open Jake's door when a thought struck her: what if Jake was changing in there? She hadn't thought of that. Just as she hesitated and brought her hand up to knock quietly, she heard movement down the hall as someone started to open their door. Panicked, Sam quickly opened Jake's door and slipped inside, turning to close the door as fast as possible.

"Sam?"

Sam whipped around, heat rising in her cheeks, to find herself face to face with a shirtless Jake Ely. His face, usually so composed, betrayed his obvious surprise and Sam watched as his gaze flickered, ever so briefly, over her towel-clad body before looking back at her again. It was hard to tell when Jake blushed because his skin was dark, but Sam noticed the additional warmth in his cheeks and her own, much more obvious blush, intensified.

"I—um. Forgot my clothes. In here," she stammered.

Jake stared at her for a moment longer before slowly nodding. Then he turned and grabbed a t-shirt off his bed, pulled it over his head, and took a few steps towards her.

Sam startled at his movement and Jake froze. Then, watching her like she was a horse ready to spook, he slowly leaned towards her and reached for a hoodie hanging from a hook on his door behind her. Realizing what he was doing Sam relaxed slightly but still felt extremely embarrassed and exposed in her current state of undress, and more so by his close proximity to her.

"I'll wait in the kitchen," Jake told her, and moved his hand to the doorknob.

Sam nodded weakly and stepped aside so he could open the door. Once he was gone and the door was securely shut behind her, she sank to her knees in mortification. _Nice one, Sam_, she thought to herself. Not only had she brought the whole embarrassing situation on herself but she had also acted like a complete idiot and little girl.

Up until that moment, Sam hadn't given the age difference between her and Jake a second thought. Sure, Jake had always acted alot older than her, but in an "I'm more responsible" kind of way…not in "I'm an older guy" kind of way. Sam wasn't naïve; she knew the kinds of things that guys and girls Jake's age got into. But she also knew that, at fourteen, she wasn't ready for those kinds of things. At this point she wasn't even sure if she would be ready at sixteen. And when she was sixteen, Jake would be, what, nineteen? He would be more than ready for that stuff.

Sam cringed. She found Jake attractive and she loved the kisses that they shared but she wasn't ready to think about Jake as a (and she almost choked over the term she had once read) "sexual being". What was she doing? If he wasn't already questioning his decision to date a fourteen year-old, he certainly would be after this fiasco. Sam closed her eyes against the image of Jake's gaze scanning over her body. What had he seen? A child?

With a silent groan, Sam hauled herself to her feet and made her way over to her backpack. It didn't take her long to pull on a fresh pair of jeans and a hoodie over a long sleeved navy blue shirt. Then she ran her brush through her hair and carefully tucked her old clothes into her backpack and zipped it up. Jake didn't have a mirror in his room so she ran her fingers lightly over her wet hair and smoothed her hoodie self-consciously. Time to face Jake.

She found him in the kitchen, like he'd said he would be. He looked up at the sound of her soft footsteps and she paused uncertainly in the doorway. "Hey," she tried out, trying to sound casual. She knew her voice was softer than usual but hoped he thought she was just trying not to wake the rest of his family.

"Hey," he returned, also softly. Silence spanned between them. Sam was at a loss for what to say. Was she supposed to explain herself again or pretend it never happened? Just as she opened her mouth to say something, Jake cleared his throat and said, staring at the table rather than her, "Everyone will wake in about an hour and do some chores. Then we all have a big breakfast. Bryan is taking over my chores this morning. So we could go ride for a bit and come back to eat." Finally he looked up at her. "I'll take you home after."

Sam nodded. "Sure."

Neither of them moved for a moment. Then, at the same time, they both moved towards the doorway and their coats. Both drew back.

Sam couldn't help the awkward groan that escaped her mouth and Jake rocked back on his heels, his hand rubbing the back of his neck like he always did when he was uncomfortable. Neither looked at each other and after a minute Sam said, "Can we…maybe start this morning over?"

Jake flashed her a relieved look. "Yeah," he said.

They didn't say anything else as they put on their outdoor things and walked to the barn, but the atmosphere was considerably less awkward. When they made it to the barn, Sam went to check on the foal again and was pleased to see it curled against its mother, sleeping peacefully. Jake joined her and said, "So, do you mind riding Witch double with me? I didn't ask Quinn if you could ride Chocolate Chip."

"Yeah, that's fine."

Jake insisted that it would be more comfortable for the two of them to go bareback on Witch but Sam wasn't convinced that was such a good idea. She had seen Witch throw tantrums before. But when Jake reminded her that even if they saddled her, Sam wouldn't be sitting in it, she reluctantly agreed. She knew Jake could handle the mare. She would just have to hold onto him for her life if the sassy mare pulled any stunts.

Jake could easily vault onto the tall mare, even without a stirrup for a foot hold, but Sam had to find a bucket to turn over and stand on and still had to be hauled up by Jake. Once settled, Sam wrapped her arms tightly around Jake's waist and pressed her cheek against his back. The sun had yet to rise except for a faint pinkish light on the horizon and the morning was cold. Sam was grateful for Jake's body heat.

They set off with no particular destination in mind and wandered through the Three Ponies territory at walk and jog intervals. A few minutes into their ride, Sam must have sighed or made some noise of discontentment because Jake asked her what was wrong.

Perhaps it was because he couldn't turn to look at her, for Sam knew she'd never have the courage to have this conversation face-to-face, but Sam asked, "When you look at me…what do you see?"

Immediately she felt Jake stiffen and her heart sank; that couldn't be good. "What do you mean?" Jake asked carefully.

"I mean…do you see a little girl?"Asked in a tinny voice that Sam was ashamed to admit was her own.

She could sense Jake's confusion but before he could ask any more questions Sam said, "Jake, I'm only fourteen." This too, came out a whisper but she knew he heard her.

Jake didn't say anything for a long minute and Sam fought the urge to hide her face in the back of his coat. Eventually Sam felt him draw in a large breath as he prepared to speak. "Samantha,"—she cringed at his use of her full name—"I know that. I knew that getting into this." He took another deep breath. "I'm older than you. I know what guys my age are into." He made no effort to turn and face her and Sam realized that there was no way Jake could have handled this conversation face-to-face either. She could feel how tense he was and the heat radiating from him and guessed that he was blushing again. "I know what they want. And sometimes I want…" he cleared his throat awkwardly and Sam blushed. "Anyway, when I look at you I see a—well, a young woman..." (His voice almost cracked over this) "A very _young_, young woman. But not a little girl."

Sam pressed her face into his back. "I can't—I'm not ready to…" her voice failed her as she thought about her worries from earlier that morning.

At this, Jake seemed to tense even more. It wasn't until he spoke that she realized it was in anger. "Don't you think I know that?" he demanded, surprising Sam with his very un-Jake like outburst. "I wouldn't let _anyone_ pressure you into something you weren't ready for. Not even me. I—I never even expected…" he trailed off, unable to voice the rest.

Rather than feeling relieved by this, Sam felt herself kind of deflate. He hadn't even _considered_ her that way? That wasn't normal, was it?

Jake must have sensed her thoughts because he made a kind of frustrated growling noise that would have been funny in other circumstances and drew Witch to a halt. This time he did twist around to face her, forcing Sam to release her grip on him. "Brat, what do you want from me?" He hesitated. "I'm a guy…Obviously I've thought about it—I like you." Sam couldn't bring herself to look at him until she felt his hand force her chin up. "You won't be this young forever," Jake said seriously, and Sam found herself paralyzed by both fear and something else at the look in his eyes. "But while you are…this…this isn't something that concerns us. It's not something you need to worry about."

He looked at her closely. "Okay?"

Sam nodded weakly. Jake hesitated but then released her and turned around again. Automatically Sam's arms came around him and she breathed him in deeply. Not even the cold morning could diminish his scent. Though she felt no cues from Jake's legs, she felt Witch's muscles bunch beneath her and tightened her grip on Jake just a second before the mare leapt forward into a swift lope. The cold air against her face alleviated the red hot blush that had stained her cheeks only seconds before.

For some time they ran, Sam didn't know in what direction, pressed as she was against Jake's back, and neither spoke another word until Jake finally brought the mare down to a choppy trot and then a walk. It wasn't until Sam heard a bark that she realized they were back in the ranch yard. Gal, the Ely's German Shepherd, ran over to them, wagging her tail.

"So there you guys are," a voice said. Sam turned to see Bryan and Quinn walking towards them from the barn.

"Nice timing," Quinn said cheerfully. "We just finished chores. You owe me big time, Jake."

Sam felt Jake shrug dismissively. "Hey Sam, did you have trouble finding my room last night?," another voice joined in—Nate's.

Sam blushed furiously and looked up just in time to see Luke Ely come from the barn and fix his sons with a stern look. "Leave Samantha alone," he said, "And go on inside to wash up for breakfast." As the three older brothers trudged towards the house, he nodded courteously at Sam and then looked up at his youngest son. "How'd the mare do?"

"Fine," Jake said. "You looked in on her?"

Luke nodded. "Little thing looks healthy. Mare looks happy."

Jake nodded. Sam couldn't help but inwardly roll her eyes that the sparse dialogue between father and son. If she'd been asked that question she would have answered with _alot_ more detail.

"Better put that mare away and get inside before your mother comes looking for you."

Jake just nodded again and Luke walked towards the house. Sam slid down off Witch and said with a laugh, "There's no doubt where you got your conversational skills."

Jake looked at her in confusion and Sam laughed again. "Never mind."

"I'll put Witch away," Jake said. "You go inside."

"Are you sure?"

Jake nodded and turned towards the barn so Sam wandered up to the house alone. When she got inside she was surprised to see that the kitchen was mostly empty. Only Mrs. Ely and Kit were there. "Luke and the boys are all washing up for breakfast, Sam," Mrs. Ely said. "You should wash your hands here in the kitchen sink. It will be too busy in the boys' bathroom."

Sam removed her coat, boots, and hat and obediently began to wash her hands in the kitchen sink. "Is there anything I can help you with?" Sam asked as she toweled off her hands.

"Oh. Well, yes, would you mind setting the table, Sam? I'd ask Kit but since he only has one arm available…"

"No problem," Sam said, accepting the piles of plates Mrs. Ely handed her. She turned towards the huge kitchen table where Kit sat and started setting the dishes out.

"That's one of the good things about having a broken arm," Kit said jokingly. "I don't have to do barn chores or house chores."

Sam smiled but knew from experience that ranch men like Kit didn't like inactivity. She'd bet that he would welcome chores, if only for something productive to do.

"So how was your date with my baby brother?" Kit asked.

Sam blushed lightly. "Good. It's only the second time I've seen a foaling. I think it's so amazing."

Kit grinned. "None of the girls I ever dated would call sleeping in a barn in the cold a great date. But I guess Jake has you pretty well figured out. I still can't believe how much you've grown up."

Sam's blush deepened, unsure how to respond.

"Oh for heaven's sake, Kit. Stop teasing Sam so much," Mrs. Ely admonished.

Kit raised his good arm, as if in surrender. "So was it a filly or colt?"

"Filly," Sam began, for she and Jake had checked that morning, but her answer was lost as a much deeper voice said the same thing from behind her.

Jake had just come in and was hanging up his coat. He moved to stand behind Sam, and while he wasn't touching her at all, she sensed that it was a slightly possessive gesture all the same. She wondered if Jake was still a little jealous of Kit. She thought they'd got over that. But maybe not. Kit seemed to recognize the wordless message and his eyes widened the slightest bit before he settled back in his chair, and watched them, amused.

Suddenly there was a bunch of noise in the hallway and a second later the rest of the Ely men spilled into the kitchen. Jake moved to wash his hands in the kitchen sink too and Sam helped Mrs. Ely put the last of the food on the table before sitting down in a seat between Jake and Quinn.

Breakfast was, predictably, a noisy and rambunctious affair. Though she'd eaten meals with the Ely's before, Sam was always surprised by the way they took the phrase "dig in" so literally. Arms came from every direction to snag from stacks of toast and grab slices of bacon. It was total chaos and disorganization all while many different conversations took place at once, overlapping one another. Sam, who had been raised to eat politely by Gram, never felt comfortable fighting to get food for her plate and feared most of it would be gone by the time the others were through with it.

Quinn grabbed her plate with a wink and proceeded to elbow his way past other reaching arms to dump a pile of eggs, bacon, toast, and pancakes on her plate. "If you're planning to stick around, you'll have to learn to fend for yourself," he said.

Sam laughed and did her best to eat everything on her plate. As she did, she watched the exchanges between family members with amusement. Mrs. Ely tried to scold her sons into more polite behavior but gave up after a few minutes with an exasperated laugh. Jake was by far the quietest of the family, even more so than Luke, who could easily be drawn into conversation with his wife or about ranch work. Yet, to Sam, who'd known Jake for so long, it was obvious that he was more at ease here, with his family, than he was anywhere else. He smiles were more frequent and, though he rarely initiated conversation, he voluntarily participated in it—though he would still never be considered a big talker.

When everything had been eaten (that was another thing at the Ely household—rarely ever any leftovers) Luke pushed back from the table with and gestured at his sons to do the same. They did so with a groan, before filing out of the kitchen and heading back outside to do more work. Luke bent to kiss his wife and then followed them. Sam wasn't sure why, but it surprised her that he initiated such gestures of affection. He seemed so serious and quiet all the time. Abruptly Sam realized that Jake was the same way. Quiet and inattention-seeking yet, as demonstrated with his move in front of Kit, very aware of what he considered his.

"Would you like some helping with the dishes?" Sam asked Maxine, also rising.

"Oh no. I'll wash and Kit can put away. He only needs one arm for that. I'll put a pot of tea on and you and Jake should relax for a little bit before he takes you home."

Sam glanced at Jake but he just shrugged and indicated that she should follow him into the living room. He flipped on the T.V and offered her the remote. When Sam shook her head and sat beside him on the couch he flipped through the channels, searching for something to leave it on.

Sam saw a cartoon of a dun horse flash on the screen. "Oh! Go back, Jake." When he did she sighed. "I love this movie."

Jake stared at her incredulously. "It's a cartoon."

Sam shrugged. "It's about a mustang and his fight for freedom," she said, as if that justified anything.

Jake looked like he wanted to roll her eyes at her, but instead turned the volume down softly, and set the remote down. Then he gave her a sideways glance. "So are we…okay?" he asked slowly, as though he wasn't sure that was the right way to phrase the question.

"Yeah," Sam said. "We are." She looked away. "I guess…this morning just brought up some issues I hadn't considered before."

Jake nodded and silence stretched between them as both tried to think of something else to say. "Here's your tea," Maxine said extending two steaming mugs towards them.

Both murmured their thanks and she left the room again. "So what are you going to do with the filly?" Sam asked.

Jake shrugged. _I should count how many times a day he does that instead of talking_, Sam thought to herself. "I guess we'll see how she grows up. She comes from really good bloodlines and her dam has good cow sense so she could be really handy. But, we don't really need another horse right now. So unless that changes by the time she's mature, we'll probably just train her up to sell."

After that, both relaxed and allowed themselves to go back to how they had been before that morning's incident. Conversation flowed freely and soon their mugs of tea sat empty on the coffee table. Sam could tell Jake was embarrassed by her movie and when Kit walked into the room he stiffened.

Kit looked at the T.V screen and a smirk grew his face. "Well," he drawled. "Maybe you guys haven't grown up as much as I thought."

Sam just laughed and protested that it was a good movie while Jake ignored his brother until Kit finally left the room, shaking his head in amusement. "I can't believe I'm letting you make me watch this," Jake said quietly, more to himself than to Sam.

Sam smiled sweetly at him and turned back to the T.V. She could hear Jake mumble something about "Darn mustangs…" under his breath but chose not to respond. Instead, she settled back against the cushions and watched the animation play out on the screen.

* * *

"Isn't that the most sickeningly sweet thing you've ever seen?" an amused voice said softly.

Sam frowned. _What was that?_ She was so tired and warm. She wished the voice would stop talking and snuggled closer to the heat she was nestled against. Her action was followed by several male snorts and a female giggle.

"I hate to wake them but Jake really needs to get her home. I promised she'd be back in lots of time for her Aunt Sue's goodbye dinner…"

At this Sam's eyes snapped open. Several shapes loomed before her. She blinked. Slowly the form of Mrs. Ely, Kit, and Quinn came into focus.

An unintelligible questioning noise emerged from her lightly parted lips. Quinn's face leaned in close. "Hi there, Sammy!" he said, waving and smiling in an annoyingly bright way.

Mrs. Ely pushed her son aside. "I've never seen Jake sleep so deeply…usually he's such a light sleeper…"

Sam's sleepy mind took a moment to process this. One of the Ely brothers chimed, "any minute now…"

Suddenly Sam tensed with realization and, as if sensing her distress in his sleep, one of Jake's arm tightened around her. Sam yelped and jumped in surprise. Suddenly she felt the hard warmth she was still curled up against tense and she knew Jake had woken up too.

Amidst the snickers of his brothers, Sam and Jake eyed each other curiously. Sam didn't remember falling asleep or even how she had managed to get herself settled between Jake's legs and tucked against his chest. From Jake's expression, he didn't understand the situation either. Sam's fuzzy brain didn't even remember to be embarrassed and she turned to Mrs. Ely calmly and asked "It's time for me to go home?"

"Yes. I'm sure you'll want to spend as much time with your aunt today as possible."

Sam nodded absently and reluctantly pulled away from Jake. Jake rolled his shoulders out and then stood up next to her. "Come on, Brat. I'll drive you home."

Sam followed Jake to the door and allowed him to help her put her coat on. Her arms still felt heavy with sleep and didn't seem to want to function properly. Mrs. Ely had brought her backpack to the door and told them that Quinn had already loaded the truck with the cot. They walked out into the cold and Sam distantly noticed that Jake walked much more slowly than his usual pace as though he expected her to fall asleep upright, the thought made her giggle softly and Jake looked at her like she was crazy.

On the drive home Sam managed to stay awake and thank Jake for the 'date'. He just shrugged like it was no big deal but when they stopped infront of the house and Sam leaned over to peck his cheek, he grinned. Jake insisted on carrying her bag and cot into the house for her and Sam opened the door to be greeted by her entire family.

"Goodness, Sam," Gram said, pulling her into a hug. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

Brynna was looking at her with amusement and Sam took it as a signal that she looked pretty awful. "Some," she said, turning away to say goodbye to Jake and finding him exchanging a look with her dad.

"We had to stop him from trying to call and check on you three times," Brynna whispered in Sam's ear. "He slept terribly and at one point he got out of bed around 2 in the morning. I thought he was going to drive over there!"

Gram and Aunt Sue chucked, overhearing. "He'll get used to it," Gram said.

Finally Jake and Wyatt turned towards the women and Jake tipped his hat towards them. He looked at Sam briefly and said "bye," before quickly disapearing outside. Obviously he was not willing to engage in any open displays of affection in front of her family. Sam wasn't surprised.

The other women all filtered back into the kitchen and as Sam moved to join them she felt her dad place an arm around her shoulders. "Everything was okay, honey?" he asked. Sam looked up at him and saw soft shadows under his eyes that weren't usually there.

"Yeah, Dad. Everything was okay," she said with a smile, leaning into his embrace. "You know Jake's a good guy."

Her father took a deep breath and gave her shoulder an extra squeeze. "No one's good enough for my little girl," he said with a half-smile, looking down at her. Sam returned his smile with one of her own and together they walked into the kitchen to join the others.

A/N: Hey guys. Sorry about another long wait on this chapter...I warned you they would be slow. University life is demanding. I didn't really want to go into the next things in this chapter so I chose to end it here. Hopefully it isn't too abrupt of an ending. I hope to have another update soon (I'm several chapters ahead, they just need editing) but it all depends on school...blah. As always, reviews are appreciated...especially since it's my birthday next week!


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